Stokes Family Outtakes
by bauerfreak
Summary: AU: Previously Full House. A collection of oneshots about little outtakes of daily life, that makes the Stokes family who they are. Story six in the Mally Universe.
1. Phone Manners

A/N: Okay, folks! Yet another fic! Woo hoo…I should be finishing Lainey Stokes and Nobody's Home and my West Wing fic, but oh well. This will be a similar series to "Single Daddy'. It will be a series of one shots about Nick and Sara's relationships with their three…and later four…children. So, I guess it kind of takes place before and during Diff'rent Stokes, and Stoked Fo Shizzle, and in between, if that makes any sense at all. Basically, the twins' birth onward. Yep. Anways…please enjoy (and review!).

It was Nick's day off from work and his day on with the kids. Mally was off at college, finishing off her freshman year at Western Texas University. His baby was hundreds of miles away and he missed her terribly. Nowadays, Nick engrossed himself in the raising of the twins, not that he didn't before hand. But now he took it even more seriously. Well…not seriously. He joked around a lot more with the twins now, determined that they love him as much as he adored them. Today, he decided, he would teach them phone manners.

Nick had employed their Fisher Price Friendly Phone and an old telephone from the basement for the project. Better to start with toys so they didn't make total fools of themselves on the phone with an adult. He'd let them make their cute, adorable mistakes safe in the living room with him.

Four year old Bailey and Aidan Stokes sat pretzel-style on the floor like their father had instructed. They were doing some shifting around and rocking, but that could be expected. Nick placed the Fisher Price phone on the floor in front of them, and Bailey immediately pounced for it.

"Up, up, up," He warned, high pitched and a little jubilant, dare he say, as he swooped the phone away from her reaching hands. "Don't touch it yet. You need to listen to what daddy has to say."

"But I wanna pway!" She complained. That's what phones were for, anyhow. Mally was always laughing and giggling on the phone, so something funny must be going on. She wanted to hear all the jokes the adults were hearing.

"In a minute, sweetheart, but first you need to listen." Nick explained patiently. Bailey smooched her lips around a little and leaned back on her hands, waiting to hear what was so important. That silly daddy guy.

"Okay." He started. "Sometimes, when you want to talk to someone or ask them a question, we call them on the te-le-phone." He said slowly. "Can you both say te-le-phone?"

Bailey and Aidan looked at him like he was an idiot, but repeated.

"Te-phe-lone." Bailey said.

"Te-we-phoa." Aidan tried.

"Te-le-phone." Nick enunciated.

The twins tried again, but couldn't get it right. Nick decided to move on.

"Anyways, we use the te-le-phone to talk to people who are far away."

"But sometimes momma caws Mrs. Bwadwey." Aidan pointed out. She was the next door neighbor who Sara summoned once in a while for babysitting duties or to borrow things.

"Well, momma doesn't want to leave you by yourselves, so she calls Mrs. Bradley."

"Coudn't she just yeww?" He wondered.

"No, Aidan. Adults don't yell across the yard at neighbors, unless it's an emergency."

"As I was saying, we call to talk to people. Now, when we want to talk to someone, we have to dial their number."

"Number?" Bailey asked.

"Yes, a number. Every house, and sometimes every person has their very own telephone number. For example, our telephone number is 538-2984."

The twins looked at him, not really caring. Aidan picked his nose.

"Uncle Gil and Aunt Catherine have their own number, and mommy and daddy's work has a special number." Nick took Aidan's wrist, retrieving the boogery finger from his nose. He handed him a tissue and helped him blow while continuing to talk.

"So first, you pick up the phone and put it to your ear to see if there's a dial tone." Nick demonstrated, putting the old phone to his ear, remembering it wasn't plugged in, and they wouldn't hear a dial tone.

"Now, this phone isn't plugged in, so you won't hear a dial tone, but you get the idea."

Nick handed the receiver to Aidan, who lifted it to his ear curiously. The phone was bigger than his head. He then held it in front of his face and yelled into it.

"Hewwwoooooooo!" He greeted the phone.

"But don't do that when you're talking to someone, because it might hurt their ears."

"Daddy, why there no die tone?"

"Dial tone. It's not plugged in."

"So how can I caw?"

"You can't on this one, bud."

"Then why we use it?"

"It's just to show you an example."

"Wa's it sound wike?"

"Ummm…uh…I guess a little like…oooooooooooooooooo." Nick demonstrated, trying his best to sound like a dial tone.

"Daddy's nuts." Bailey said, who'd been quiet for a while. She'd heard her mother say it a few times.

"Yes, daddy's a little nuts, but aren't we all. Okay. When you hear the dial tone, then you dial the special phone number. Remember talking about the special phone number?"

"Yeeeeees." They chimed together.

"Good. So let's practice dialing a number. How about, 1-2-3-4-5." Nick thought of, thinking of the humorous scene from Spaceballs. It was the same combination an idiot would have on his luggage.

Nick let Aidan use the old phone, and Bailey used the Fisher Price one. He counted out loud with them as they punched the buttons with their tiny fingers.

"Good job! You dialed your first number. Now daddy's gonna say a number out loud, and you dial it. Okay?"

Bailey and Aidan were already pounding the keys randomly, so Nick had to still their hands momentarily before they could start. Nick said random numbers for a while, then short combinations. The twins seemed to take really well to it, and Nick was feeling confident in his teaching abilities.

"Alright, let's move on to talking!" He said excitedly. "When someone answers on the other end, they say _hello_. Have you heard mommy and Mally and I say _hello_ when we pick up the phone?"

"Yep."

"That's what other people do too. So after they say hello, you ask to speak to someone."

"Wike who?" Aidan inquired.

"Well, like Mally for instance. You could call her dorm and ask to speak to Mally. So, put the phone up to your ear and pretend someone just said hello. What do you say?"

"May I speak to someone?" Bailey tried.

"N-n-no." Nick chuckled. "You have to say someone's name. Like Mally. Say _may I speak to Mally_."

"But Mawwy's not on the phone."

"I know. Just pretend."

Bailey sighed and gave her father an odd look, putting the phone up to her ear.

"May I speak to Mawwy?" She asked politely.

"Good. Then if Mally's there, the person will get Mally to come to the phone, but you have to wait a few seconds. Then, Mally will say hello, and you can start saying whatever you want. Bailey scrunched her face.

"Mawwy, daddy's gone cwazy! Come home quick!"

Nick rolled his eyes and laughed out loud. They must think he'd gone psycho or something, with all they'd been telling him about these being fake phones, and what to do with a real phone. But they were doing pretty well.

"I know, sweetheart. You're doing good, though. Aidan you try."

Aidan put the phone up to his ear and tried.

"Is Mawwy there?"

"Say, _May I speak to Mally_." Nick corrected him.

"May I speak to Mawwy?" He said, upbeat.

"Way to go! You're already a pro. Good! Now, when you're done, you have to say goodbye. Will you do that?"

"Goodbye!" They both said happily.

"Then put the phone back down in the cradle."

"In the baby's cwadle?" Aidan asked. They'd just learned that their mommy was going to have another baby. Nick and Sara had already started getting its room ready, complete with…a cradle.

"No, baby. Put it back down on the other part of the phone." Nick gently put his hand over Aidan's and guiding it back down to sit in the cradle until it clicked. "Good. You just made your first phone call!"

"Yay!"

Nick's cell phone rang and he checked the caller ID. It was Sara. Since she was pregnant (and since she was his wife!), he immediately answered. He could see the twins were playing quietly, so he decided to walk into the dining room, because she sounded a little stressed.

The house phone rang moments later, and Bailey and Aidan looked at each other in fascination. It was that phone thing their daddy was talking about! And it was ringing! That must mean they needed to call someone.

The twins waddled over to the living room table where the real phone sat.

"I forget what to do." Aidan confessed, leaning on the chair and studying his sister. She seemed to know a lot about these things.

"I'w answer." She said, rather adultly. Bailey picked up the phone and put it to her ear.

"Is Mawwy there?" She said, like her daddy had taught her.

"Huh?" Said the other voice. "This is Mally. Who's this?"

"Can I speak to someone?" She tried again.

"Bailey, is that you?" Mally thought she recognized her little sister's voice. They weren't allowed to answer the phone yet, though, because they didn't know what to do, which was being made quite clear at the moment.

"Yes, this is Baiwey. Who is this?"

"It's Mally, your sister." She said, emotion in her voice. Mally had had a rough day, and was calling to talk to her father and get cheered up. This was almost better, though. Mally tried not to cry, putting a hand up to her eyes. She tried to stay strong for Bailey.

"How are you?"

"I'm okay, Bails. I had a bad day at school."

"Was the teacher mean?"

"Yeah, kind of. It's good to talk to you, Bailey. Did momma or daddy teach you how to use the phone?"

"Daddy twied, but he's a wittle nuts."

Mally laughed out loud, amazed that her little sister could cheer her up so much right now. Her freshman year had been rough so far. She still missed home a lot and it was hard adjusting to college classes and the workload.

Mally heard a scuffle on the other end, and assumed Aidan must be there too, fighting for the phone.

"I wann tawk to Mawwy!" She heard him say.

"She cawed me, not you!"

Aidan finally seemed to get a turn when she heard his voice come on the receiver.

"Hi, Mawwy!" He said cheerily.

"Hi, Aidan! Did you have a good day?" She smiled even wider. Her little brother was such a ham.

"It was okay, but Baiwey is a poophead!"

"A poophead? It's not nice to call people names, bud."

"Sowwy."

"It's okay. Hey, is daddy there?"

"Yep."

"Can I talk to him?"

"He's on the phone."

Nick had just walked back into the room to see the twins huddled by the real telephone, and Aidan was talking to someone.

"Okay, well will you tell him too…"

"Sweetheart?" Her father's deep, gentle, familiar voice swept into her frustrated ears. Mally immediately started crying at the comfort his voice provided. "Mally, are you okay?" He asked, his voice concerned and patient.

"Nooo…." She struggled, now full-out crying again.

Nick realized he may need to talk to his daughter for a while, so he told the twins to go play in the backyard, opening the door for them as they bolted out.

"It's okay, darlin'. I'm here." He assured her, as he sat down on the couch. She was hundreds of miles away, and just wanted to give her a big hug and a kiss and rock her until she stopped crying, but he couldn't. That was probably one of the hardest things about her being away. Sometimes she would call all upset over school and missing home, but all he could do was talk to her and reassure her everything would turn out okay. "Just calm down a minute, okay?"

"Okay." She sobbed. Nick shushed her gently as her crying slowed a little. "Can you just talk to me, daddy?" She requested.

"Sure, baby." He was surprised at the request. "Do you know what happened today? I taught the twins phone manners. Well, I tried anyway. They've been real curious lately about what we are doing on the phone, so I finally decided to show them today. I got out the Fisher Price phone and the old one from the basement, and I taught them to listen for the dial tone, and when someone says hello, you ask to speak to someone. Then you talk, and say your goodbyes at the end. They were a little confused to say the least, but I think they're learning." Nick paused and listened. Mally was breathing a little more shallow now, and she was just sniffling. "Are you doing better now, sweetheart? Or do you want me to keep talking?"

"I'm better now, daddy. Thanks." She smiled weakly on her end. "When I called, Bailey answered and asked to speak to Mally." She laughed a little bit at the incident replaying in her head.

"She did?" He chuckled, glancing outside at his two youngest. "Sounds like something she would do. I guess I on taught them how to make calls, not answer them."

"You'll have to leave that to mom tomorrow." Mally smiled.

"I guess so." He changed to subject to find out what was bothering her. "How's school going? Are you getting a little stressed out?"

"Yeah." She sighed tiredly. "I just…I studied really hard for my history exam and found out I got a C- today."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I know you're working hard. You'll get the hang of it, don't worry."

Mally was halfway worried that he'd be mad that she wasn't doing well in school. She wasn't doing badly, per se, but she was currently getting three B's and two C's. Her grades were far from what they were in high school, but she was working harder than she ever had.

"How do you know?"

"Because you're doing far better than I did my first year of college, and look how wonderful I turned out." He teased.

"How did you do your first year?"

"Oh, I was all into the party life, Mal, and I never studied. I skipped classes, which I'm sure you're not doing, right young lady?"

"Of course not, dad." She fibbed. Mally skipped class every once in a while, but that was the beauty of college.

"I failed a class that semester, and got two C's and a D. My parents weren't very pleased with me at all."

"Daddy. You were a slacker!"

"I know, I know. But I learned my lesson. The next year, I was on the Dean's list." He reported. "Are you making more friends?"

"No. Not really. I'm just…scared, you know. They're all from Texas, and everyone seems to know at least someone else. I don't know anyone, dad."

"You'll make some good friends soon, believe me." Nick paused, knowing he needed to get outside to watch the twins, but sensing that his daughter was holding on to every word he said. He didn't want to hang up any more than she did, and it broke his heart into a million pieces.

"Sweetheart, do you want to come home soon to visit?"

Mally started crying again, sensing he was trying to wrap up the call.

"Mally, don't cry, darlin'. Please." He begged her, a tear forming in his own eye.

"I know. I'm sorry" She screeched. "I just miss you guys so much. I don't like college. I don't like it at all. I just wanna quit and come home!"

"Mally, I think you're just a bit upset and stressed right now. If you stick it out, I think you'll end up liking it."

"But I'm so lonely!" She sobbed, hoping the rest of the dorm wasn't hearing her, but betting they could.

"I know. And it's okay to call us. I'm glad you did today, if you were so upset. We love hearing from you."

"But I'm always so sad."

"You're our family, and we love you no matter what. We help each other out when we're going through a rough patch.

Mally blubbered on the other end.

"Do you remember last year, when you got so down? When you went to counseling for a while?"

"Uh-huh."

"Did we give up on you?"

"No." She said a little more calmly.

"That's right. We worked through it, didn't we? And we'll work through your first year away. We miss you so much too, Mal, I can't even tell you. I think about you all the time, and wonder what you're up to. I'd love to think about you out with your new friends, and maybe, dare I say, a few guys." Nick teased a little, hoping it would lighten up the conversation. "Will you try that for me? Try to have dinner with a few girls from your dorm tonight."

Nick had trouble understanding how Mally was such a social butterfly in high school, always out and about, and how she had almost shut down at college. Well, in high school she mainly hung out with Natalie Grissom, and now she was away at Stanford. Her support system was gone, but they were all just a phone call away.

"Will you do that, sweetheart?" Nick whispered, trying to keep his emotions in check He was encouraging his daughter to step away from them. To look on to the future, and not dwell on the home life she missed so much. It was painful to let go for both of them, it seemed. But it was his job as a parent to show her how to do the right thing. It was right to move on and make new friends. It was right to have fun at college. But not too much.

"I'll try."

"Good girl. I need to go make sure the twins don't murder each other, so I need to go now, sweetheart. Will you be okay?"

"Yeah, I think I'm okay now." She tried to convince her father and herself at the same time. She knew he wouldn't hang up until he knew she was okay.

"Okay, baby. Call later if you need to, alright?"

"Alright, daddy. I love you."

"I love you too."

The phone clicked off and Nick sadly hung up the phone. He worried so much about Mally lately, almost more than he had the summer before she left. In her absence, she seemed to cause him more worry. She was struggling fitting in with no one she knew around. But by the end of the year, he was pretty sure she'd be fine. She was his daughter. His Mally.

Nick took a deep breath as he went into the backyard, Bailey and Aidan squealing in delight at his presence. As they pounced on him, Nick couldn't help but savor every moment with them, because he knew that one day he'd have to let go of them too, like he was letting go of Mally.


	2. WalMart Bear Suits Fun

A/N: Heh. You ain't got rid of me yet! So, I'm up at my dad's house now in Michigan. We leave tomorrow morning for bfe, where I don't know if I'll have Internet access at all for the rest of the week. : ( So, I hope you enjoy this update! Thanks for the kind words from the first chapter. More excitement to come! Now, this idea, I actually got from my little brother and his friends. They actually did this. So, please enjoy and have fun imagining...

Nick and Sara Stokes stood like judges in front of the row of four teenage girls, all aged either fifteen or sixteen years old. Though they'd done their best to sound wrathful and intimidating, all six had trouble keeping a straight face. It was just too funny. But it was wrong. But it was harmless and hilarious.

"Girls, I honestly don't know what to say." Nick started, then pressed his lips together hard to keep from bursting out laughing. He couldn't slip, because he was the parent here, but it was hard.

One of Mally's friends burst out laughing, almost snorting, and the other girls started giggling also, trying to shush her, but failing amongst the suppressed laughter. Sara gave them a look and it quickly ceased.

"Do you have nothing better to do on a Friday night than…" He gestured to the objects on the floor, "this?"

The girls' eyes all shifted to the four bear costumes in a heap on the floor just beside the couch they were being interrogated on. Well, the Stokeses were doing their best, but the girls could tell they thought this was hilarious too.

"Going into Wal-Mart dressed as bears, and asking where the honey is?" Nick replayed the police officer's story that was told when the four suited ladies returned home.

Again, all four girls snorted with laughter. Mally knew she should be petrified right now, but for some reason she didn't care. She and her friends had the time of their lives that night. Callie's father was a costume store owner, and had given permission for his daughter to borrow four of his bear costumes since they were 'out of season'. Bored one Friday evening, the girls put them on, drove to the local Wal-Mart, and dilly-dallied around the store for a half hour or so, until the police stopped them.

Sara turned around momentarily and coughed, covering up her slip in disciplining. Priceless. Just priceless.

"What do you have to say for yourselves?" Nick gaped, looking at each of the shaking girls.

"We're bear-y sorry." Natalie snorted, and that was it. They were in fits of laughter, and Nick couldn't help but roll his eyes.

It would have been funny to him too if he hadn't gotten called by the cops. Nick and Sara had a great deal of respect from the police department; something that had been hard earned over the years, and here was his daughter, parading around Wal-Mart like an idiot in a bear costume.

Nick tried to picture his daughter and her friends donned in their outfits, driving around town in Mally's Honda Accord, getting looks from passing cars. Then he imagined them entering the sliding front doors, walking past the carts and the old geezery greeters. Past the aisle three specials and onward, strolling through the store, asking complete strangers where the honey, salmon, and hunting equipment was. He shouldn't have pictured this, because he snorted with laughter.

"Daddy, you think it's funny!" Mally called him on it bravely. Nick shook his head and allowed himself a full-out chuckle, earning a slap to the bicep from his wife.

"Girls, it may have been humorous, but I don't think the manager appreciated you disrupting his store for a half hour."

"He thought it was funny too!"

"Is that why the cops were called?" Nick crossed his arms.

"Just because someone doesn't have a sense of humor, doesn't mean it should've put an end to our fun." Natalie piped.

"That'll be enough from you, Natalie." Sara told the teenager. She had parenting rights with this one, as their parents had known each other for decades. Natalie shut up and looked down at her hands. Hopefully her parents would find this more humorous than Sara did.

"Anyway, your parents have all been called, and they'll be here shortly to deal with you." Nick tried sounding authoritative again. "For now, Mally you get up to your room. Natalie, go sit at the breakfast bar. Callie, kitchen table has your name on it. And Emily, you can stay right here."

The girls managed to wipe the grins off their faces and move to their designated spots. Mally knew her dad would be following her up the stairs, but somehow she highly doubted she would be punished for this, unless Sara talked him into it. She saw them have a brief conversation as she headed up the stairs, leaving her friends on their own.

Moments after arriving in her room, Nick came through the door, looking surprisingly unhumored, but not intimidating.

"Sit down, Mal." He told her, but he remained standing, which meant this would be short. Mally obeyed and looked up at him, not daring to crack anymore jokes tonight. Her father was a pretty fair and well-humored person, but she knew where to draw the line with him. Tonight, that line was cops.

"Bringing cops into your life is never a good thing, Mal." Nick started, knowing all too well the legal system and the politics of law enforcement. "Now they have you on their radar. It was okay to have a little bit of fun, but that's the end of it. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir." Mally said softly, knowing he meant business.

"Now, having said that, where the hell did you come up with that?" Nick loosened up a little bit, allowing himself a grin. Mally was always turning out surprises, and he was amazed and humored by this stunt of creativity.

"I don't know, dad. Just boredom. I mean, there's not much funnier than seeing a bear in Wal-Mart. All the customers thought it was hilarious." Mally beamed, appreciating the feeling that came with genuinely making her father laugh.

"I can only imagine, darlin'. I can only imagine."

They looked at each other for a few moments.

"So…I'm not in trouble?" Mally prodded, hoping he was letting her off the hook since it was hilarious.

Nick adjusted his stance and ran a hand over his face. He knew Sara wanted him to ground her, but what good would that do? She'd just get even more bored, and pull something worse probably. Nick didn't want to, just because she had provided him with some much-needed comic relief.

"I'll tell you what. You go tell Bailey and Aidan their bedtime story dressed in one of those things, and I'll let you off scot-free."

Mally grinned.

"Really? That's all I have to do?"

"Yes. But if I catch you doing anything like this again…"

"Thank you dad!" She hugged him quickly and then dashed down the stairs to find the bear costume. Mally was going to have a great time with this. Her little brother and sister would be completely oblivious. They'd tell all their preschool friends that a friggin' bear read them a bedtime story instead of dad. And it was true!

Nick shook his head and laughed. That was all he could do trying to raise three children.

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

The last of the girls had gone home now, so Sara made her way up the stairs to check on the twins. She assumed Nick had already dealt with Mally, since her bedroom door was closed and the light was out. He'd probably sent her straight to bed. As Sara neared the top of the steps, the twins' bedroom door opened and she nearly had a heart attack as out walked….


	3. Momma and Daddy

A/N: I'm baaaaaack…so it was fun, and now I'm back at my dad's. The weather was supposed to really suck and we couldn't find an internet café anywhere, so we just headed back today and watched the US LOSE to Ghana. Oh well. I have been reading "Ya Yas in Bloom" by Rebecca Wells and absolutely love her writing, and got this idea while reading that book. I hope I don't sound too southern. This is from Bailey's pov when she's 5. Some places may sound like she's a little more adult I think, but you can still tell she's a little kid I think. Thanks to everyone who reviewed – and thanks to MrsEads, CSI3Snickers, and Silverian Rose for being generally awesome.

On a warm, serene Friday evening, I was waiting in my bedroom. Momma and daddy said the babysitter would be here in a few minutes. Mari was sleeping, as usual in my room – sorry, OUR room – so I was told to stay in stinky Aidan's room. I can't believe I actually shared a room with him for almost five years. So, here I am sitting on the floor, while my parents are getting ready to go to their party. I never really say it, but I love watching my momma and daddy get ready for parties. I know I'm only five and three fourths years old, but I can see that momma and daddy belong together, like Mally always used to tell me.

But Mally's away at college now. She left us. Daddy told me that most kids her age go off to college, but that didn't make me feel any better. I want Mally here home with us. Now, we have to let some stupid old lady take care of us instead of her. I'd much rather be taken care of by Mally than that funny smelling woman. I'm always much gooder for my big sister too. Daddy warned me that I need to be good for Mrs. Bradley this time, or there would be no playing at the park tomorrow. Last time, momma and daddy were pretty mad at me because I was bad for the babysitter. I tell them time and time again that I just can't sit still for a Disney movie, no matter how hard I try. And I do try. Really hard. But my body makes me get up and jump on the couch – makes me yell – and run around the house. It's not my fault. And it's not my fault that the old lady can't keep up with me. Mally can keep up with me.

I'm startled out of my thoughts when I hear momma giggle down the hallway in their bedroom. I know that right now she's sitting at her vanity, picking out the beautifulist and shiniest earrings that daddy will say look gorgeous on her, but that don't compare to her eyes. I'm really bored already, and Aidan is playing on his GameBoy, so I push the door open, quiet as can be, and poke my head around the corner. Momma and daddy's room is open, so I tiptoe down the hall, hushed as a mouse, so I can do my favorite thing. Watch them get ready.

My friend Brett said that before her parents got divorced, they stopped hugging and kissing like they always used to do. So I like to check up on my parents every once in a while, and make sure they still do. This morning, daddy kissed momma a lot in the kitchen at breakfast, and they always kiss and hug when one gets home from work. I don't think I have anything to worry about, but I like to be sure.

Momma's still giggling when I near the doorway and I hear daddy's lower, comforting, familiar voice, and it sounds like he's joking around. I poke my head around, and I see momma standing in front of the mirror. My momma's so beautiful, like a movie star, when she gets all dressed up. Tonight, her dark brown hair (which is curly like mine), is partially swept up at the back of her head, clipped back with a sparkly looking thing. I can tell she put some make up on already, but she's dabbing on some more deep red lipstick as she leans over to get close up to the mirror. She's wearing a long, black dress that has a criss cross on the back, and it has no sleeves. Boy, she looks pretty! I'm mesmerized by her sparkly earrings that dangle around as she laughs at something daddy is saying.

Daddy looks mighty handsome too! He's wearing what mommy calls his "dressy khakis", and a dark red button up shirt. I can tell his face isn't prickly like it sometimes can be in the mornings when I jump onto their bed to wake them up. Daddy is standing right behind momma, and his right hand is resting on her hip, his face snuggled up next to hers. He kisses her cheek softly once, and then on her shoulder. Then he whispers something into her ear, and momma giggles. His hand touches momma's stomach and he whispers something else, and she laughs again. Daddy sure has some funny jokes sometimes.

My momma reaches into her pretty jewelry box, the one that I want a matching one of someday, but momma says when I'm older, and she picks out my favorite necklace of hers. She let me try it on one time, and she said I looked like a princess, which I had to agree with. Daddy reached around her and gently took it from her hands. Momma gracefully lifted her beautiful locks up from her milky neck, and daddy brought the necklace up until it rested just under her throat. He kissed the back of her neck, and momma smiled, but he didn't see. Daddy took a little while, but he did finally get that necklace fastened in the back. I know the fastener that one has and it's tricky. I always have to ask momma for help with that type too.

When he's done, daddy wraps his arms around her, and she lets her head fall back onto his shoulder. She's just about as tall as he is, so I think that makes them a good couple. Brett says her daddy divorced her mommy because she was too tall. I think Brett's a little crazy sometimes, but I'm glad that my parents are about the same height. Daddy kisses momma again on the cheek and he rocks her back and forth, and they are looking at each other in the mirror. I know I'm only five, but I know my momma and daddy are in love. Someday, I'll find myself a handsome man as good and nice as my daddy, and I'll marry him. But somehow I don't think I'll find anyone quite like my daddy.

Then I see it. I know they love each other, but I still don't like seeing it. Momma tilts her head and kisses my daddy on the lips! They both close their eyes, I don't now why, and they keep kissing forever! Finally, I've had enough and I can't help but say "Ewwwwww!"

I turn to run back to Aidan's room, because I know I'm supposed to stay in there, but daddy's voice stops me.

"Bailey Catherine, is that you out there?" He calls. By his tone, I can tell I'm not in trouble. It's his 'there's that mischievous Bailey again' tone. It means he thinks I'm being silly or funny or cute. I let myself smile a big grin, and I turn around on my feet and timidly take big tip toe steps back to their doorway. By that time, daddy's at the doorway too, and he grunts as he picks me up and flies me in the air, just like he always does when he's in a really good mood.

"Were you spying on me and mommy?" Daddy asks me as he settles me on his hip. I know I'm getting to be a big girl now, but I never get tired of hanging all over daddy. It's stupid, but sometimes I'm afraid daddy will get sick of me and find Mari more interesting because she's the new baby and stuff. So, I like to make sure he still plays with me.

"Nooooooo…" I squeal in my lying tone. Daddy looks at me, and he knows he's right. He peppers me with four kisses right on my neck, and it makes me squirm.

"Bailey…don't lie to daddy." He teases me back.

"Okaaaaayyyyyy…." I give in. "I was just watchin' you get ready!"

"Is that right?"

I look over at momma and she's smiling as she looks over her make up. She doesn't realize she's just beautiful without even trying, but I think daddy does.

"Do you know what we do to little girls who spy on their parents?" Daddy asks me, as he throws me onto their bed.

"Noooooooo!" I squeal, knowing what's ahead, but loving every second of it. Without another moment's hesitation, daddy starts tickling me relentlessly all over. I squirm every which way to get out of his grasp. He's really good at tickling – I guess he had Mally to practice on, and sometimes he tickles momma too. After a minute or so, he finally stops, and my face really hurts from all the laughing. Daddy leans down and kisses me on the forehead twice and pats my stomach. I reach my arms up to him, and he picks me up into his strong, protective arms, and then we all hear the doorbell ring.

He opens the door with me still in his arms and the old lady looks at us and smiles. She seems kind of nice in this moment, and doesn't look at me like I'm crazy, like many of our past babysitters. I decide I'll try to be nice for her tonight. Not that I try to be bad. Well – sometimes I do when I think Mari's getting too much attention – but that's another story.

After daddy explains all the rules for the night to the babysitter, but also for me, because he says sometimes I like to try things, momma joins us and Aidan too. Momma reports that Mari's still sleeping and she'll need to be fed in a couple hours.

Now, this is my least favorite thing ever. When momma and daddy have to say goodbye. I know they'll only be gone for a while, but I'll still miss them. Being tucked in by someone else just never quite feels right. She doesn't know the special kiss I get from daddy – once on the forehead and once on both cheeks – but I don't think I want her to. That's just for daddy and me. Why do they want to go without us anyway? Don't they know that parties are always better with kids around? Momma tried to tell me that sometimes adults just like to hang out with adults, but I don't see how that could be any fun.

I know I look sad, because momma lets me hang on to her a little longer than usual. She pries my arms off her and kisses me, and daddy's firm but gentle hand leads me over to the living room, and suggests a board game to play with Mrs. Bradley. I can see how they're real excited about this party for some reason, so I let them go. Daddy gives me one last hug and kiss, and does the same to Aidan, and then they're out the door. But I'll wait up for them, just like I always do. Just to make sure.


	4. So Another One

"So…." Nick started, his hands in his pockets as he looked down. "Another one."

"Yep." Sara affirmed, nodding her head a little bit. Nick looked over at her, and she looked slightly amused. This wasn't exactly a non-life changing experience, but they had gotten a little used to it by now…after three.

The parents gazed down at their fourth-born, who was sleeping soundly in the crib that had been Bailey's when she was a baby. The baby girl was unaware of her parents, obviously, as she was fast asleep, and had no way of knowing just what kind of parents they'd be. She didn't know that her father had been through this three times before; or her mother was a baby-burping pro after two of her own. Her momma had just fed her, so she was full and content, and ready to continue her life of sleeping eighteen hours a day.

"She's a good sleeper." Sara commented. Nick nodded, smiling down at the newborn, and then glancing again at his wife.

"She sure is."

Even though he'd already had three babies to play with, Nick never tired of touching his newborn. He just couldn't keep his eyes or his hands off her. Sara reveled in the way he would hold her constantly, rub her tummy, and place tender kisses on her nearly bald head. It was hard to leave her alone long enough to let the poor girl sleep. She'd be sick of being held and touch by the end of her first week of life.

"I want to hold her again." He said, and the request was so frequented that Sara rolled her eyes and sighed, amused, as she looked at her husband like he was a child himself.

"Nick, she needs to sleep."

"But…"

"No." She told him firmly, in the tone she used with their kindergartners when they started throwing Play-Doh at each other. Sara pulled on his arm, dragging him away from the crib and his precious daughter, and he griped all the way out of the room.

Mari was staying in her parents' room, at least until she started sleeping through the night, so she wouldn't disturb her siblings. They decided that Mari and Bailey would share a room, since they were both little girls, and Aidan, the only boy, would inherit the twins' room to himself. They were getting a little too old to share a room. Aidan was thrilled with getting his own room, obviously, but Bailey was less than content with the fact she had to still share a room, and with a baby, no less! But, alas, there were only four bedrooms in the Stokes home, so she'd have to make do. After Mally graduated from college, she'd get her own room, but that seemed forever away for the five year old.

Sara closed the bedroom door, which hadn't seen any action since Mari's birth, both for comfort reasons and the fact that making love with your child in the room was just creepy. She kissed her husband tenderly on the lips, fatherhood looking so good on him. He was so protective of his family, and strangely, it was a big turn on to Sara. But she was still a bit too sore to do anything just yet, and the doctor had advised them to wait. Nick returned her kiss hungrily and appreciatively, bringing his hand up to gently cup her face. After a few moments, she broke it off.

"You do have two other children downstairs you can hold, if you need to reach your daily quota, or whatever is wrong with you." Sara teased, tracing a finger over his chest. Nick smiles and kisses her again, then turns her in his arms, his hands going to her hips. He starts walking to the stairs, pushing her along with him.

"Are you making fun of me, Sara Stokes?" Nick whispers in her ear playfully. Sara giggles and allows him to lead her down the stairs. "You'll pay for that."

Nick kisses her cheek as they reach the living room, where Bailey and Aidan are watching "The Lion King" for about the fortieth time. They can tell Bailey must have been horsing around on the couch again, because she was sitting back on her heels, like she'd just sat down. Her eyes came unglued from the tv first, when she saw her parents. They noticed she got pretty bored easily, and was always happier interacting with people and running around, rather than sitting quietly watching a movie like her brother.

Nick picked his little girl up and sat her back on his lap, kissing her head several times, as she looked on to the movie. Sara did the same with Aidan, who quickly snuggled up to his mother. She gently rubbed Aidan's back, and he was perfectly contented sitting there with his mom.

"Is the baby asleep?" He asked his mother, playing with his lip.

"Yes, she is. She has a name, you know." Sara said in a bit of a silly voice. Aidan turned his head so he could see his mother's face and smiled up at her. Sara leaned down to give him a kiss on the cheek

"Mari!" Bailey informed him happily. Nick held her sides lightly when she started to move around, moving up to his knees. "Daddy, drop me!" She requested, turning around to face him and sitting on the tops of his knees.

Nick knew exactly what she meant. He cleared his throat as he took hold of her hands, then let his knees come apart suddenly, causing her body to drop between his legs. Bailey let out a delighted scream, and Nick pulled her back up. Every few seconds, he would repeat the action, and Bailey would screech again.

"Would you two be quiet?" Aidan finally said, irritated that his movie was being interrupted by their jollying around. Sometimes his sister would just never sit still. He was so glad he didn't have to share a room with her anymore.

Bailey decided to try to stand up on Nick's legs, but he quickly vetoed that painful idea, and guided her to go play on the floor so Aidan could still watch the movie in peace. It was getting dark outside, so playing on the swingset was out of the question. Usually, Bailey would settle down after dinner, but tonight she seemed a little more rambunctious.

The little girl instead opted for her favorite new pastime – painting her parents' toenails while they sat at the couch. She had so much energy, that the parents would allow her to do anything that was non-violent or pestering towards her siblings. If it kept her entertained, they didn't see any harm in it – they were the only ones to really see each other's toes.

In fact, they kept a variety of toe nail polish in the couch side drawer, so Bailey just picked out a hideous green color she'd found at Limited Too, and grabbed hold of her mother's right foot.

"Bails, be gentle." Sara said patiently. Currently, her toes were a miniature mural of an array of ugly colors. The night before, Nick had picked out traces of apple red, passion purple, daisy yellow, and baby blue in her overly painted toenails. Bailey thought she was a master at this toenail stuff – she probably would be soon anyway, with all the practice she was getting.

Bailey put a newspaper under her mother's foot, just like her parents had taught her, so she wouldn't get any on the carpet (she found that unpleasant consequences are presented when she ruined her mother's carpet). Not so carefully and meticulously, Bailey painted those toenails hideously, getting polish all over the surrounding skin, and leaving uneven blobs. But, it kept her quiet and out of trouble for a few minutes, so Sara was more than happy to comply. She smiled when she felt Bailey blow harshly on her wet nails, tiny bits of little kid saliva getting on her feet.

"Are you trying to give me a spit bath, baby?"

"Nooooo!" Bailey laughed at her mother's comment. Once she was satisfied with her art work on the perfect canvas of her mother's toenails, she moved to her father. He wasn't quite as happy to comply, simply because it's weird when men have painted toenails. No one else had ever seen them, but he always dreaded the day when he would likely forget and wear flip flops to Target or something. Nick cleared his throat and shifted his body uncomfortably.

He looked down at his daughter as she gently took his left foot in her tiny hands, examining her previous handiwork. Nick ran a hand over his face, and perched it on his cheek as he waited for her to begin.

"Daddy, that one looks like a hamster!" She reported, referring to a yellowish blob on his big toe. He wiggled his toes to make her giggle, and prodded her in the stomach lightly.

"He's saying 'Bailey, don't cover me up! I want to live forever!" Nick played in a funny voice, causing his daughter and son both to go into fits of laughter.

Bailey sat down and crossed her legs pretzel style, and start to assault her father's toes with the green polish. It looked like someone had sneezed all over his toes, but she decided to leave the hamster-looking blob there. She gushed air all over his foot, like she had done with her mother. Nick laughed a little bit, and she moved to his right foot, performing an identical treatment. She looked proudly at her work, putting the top of the polish back on the bottle. Just as she finished, they all heard a cry coming from upstairs. Nick and Sara both looked at each other, both not wanting to move with wet toenails.

Bailey seemed to sense their worry and happily volunteered to go get her baby sister. She was just like a little dolly.

"No." The parents said firmly, simultaneously. Sara handed Aidan off to Nick, and the little boy didn't bother at all from the transfer.

"My nails are dryer." She figured. Nick laughed as Sara started walking as carefully as she could, her toes spread and curling upwards.

"Don't laugh at me!" She warned.

"Hey, you laughed at me!" Nick called after her, "Now we're even."

His temporary solace lasted only a short while when the doorbell rang. Nick sighed, and picked up his son, and set him back down on the couch. He walked funny, just like Sara had been, and his two children giggled at him uncontrollably as he walked to the door.

"Quiet!" He kidded.

Nick opened the door to a teenage boy, who was selling things for his school. His eyes somehow immediately drifted down to Nick's toes, and the look on his face was priceless. Very confused; disturbed, even; but he couldn't take his eyes off Nick's toes.

"Umm…sir, I'm…"

"Yes, I'm aware I have painted toenails, and no, I'm not gay and I don't have some odd fetish. I'm trying to keep my five year old daughter entertained so she won't disturb my newborn baby upstairs. So, if we could move past this awkward interaction we have going on here, I would just love to buy a box of overpriced pecans."


	5. Riding in Cars With Twins

A/N: lol! School is crazy right now, but things are okay. I finally have a bed now, but my car broke down! Bleh! I hope you enjoy this chapter; thanks to DarkDreamer56 for reminding me to get my ass in gear on this story. Please review, and I will send you telepathic hugs.

Seventeen year old Mally Stokes tiredly got out of her Honda Civic one Saturday afternoon, with both the twins in tow in the back seat. She promised her parents she'd take them to the playground for a couple of hours so they could actually have a breather, as they put it, but Mally knew they just wanted to get it on. Ew.

The twins were two years old, and at the stage where they wanted to babble about everything. They didn't understand the concept of keeping a secret yet, and today Mally desperately needed them to. She'd had a long talk with them about what they were going to say to momma and daddy when they got home, and especially about what they weren't going to say.

Mally opened the side door and unbuckled Aidan from his car seat, setting him down in the driveway.

"Stay there, bud, until I get your sister." Mally instructed him, and he did what she said. Mally didn't worry about Aidan obeying her. It was that little loudmouth sitting on the other side. She traveled to the other door and unbuckled her little sister, looking dirty from the playground.

"Mawwy, go back!" She requested, already missing the fun of the playground, looking up with her big brown eyes. Bailey rated a ten on the cuteness factor, but she could be a little devil, alright.

"Not today, Bailey." She kept Bailey in her arms as she shut the door, and then grabbed Aidan's hand to head inside. "I'll take you another day if you promise to keep our secret." Mally reminded them as they headed for the front door.

Her parents were cuddling on the couch, watching the tv, when the trio returned from their outing. Sara immediately smiled and sat up, holding her arms out for a hug. Aidan soon took off running towards his mother, jumping into her arms.

"Aidan, I missed you!" Sara exclaimed, pulling him into her lap and giving him kisses, though he was a little dirty also. "Did you have fun with Mally?"

"Yep. I go on swing!" He reported proudly.

"You did?" Sara acted shocked, and Aidan smiled back widely. "It sounds like you had a great day."

Mally sat down on the loveseat across from her parents, setting Bailey on the floor in front of her. She quickly grabbed a stray toy on the ground, and Mally hoped she'd stay distracted. The seventeen year old clutched her purse a little tighter to her body, hoping to disappear upstairs as soon as possible.

Nick looked at his watch. They'd been gone for a little while longer, but that was okay by him. He knew Mally loved her siblings, but she was usually very ready to bring them home after an afternoon at the park.

"Did they convince you to stay a little longer?" He asked his oldest daughter, keeping a close eye on Bailey, who had recently developed a habit for sticking things in her mouth that didn't belong.

Mally quickly grabbed on to that scenario.

"Yeah, I gave them a few more minutes. They were being pretty good."

"Thanks for taking them." Her father told her, putting his arm around Sara. "We really appreciate it."

Mally wanted to roll her eyes in disgust. Gross. Yeah, I'm sure they did appreciate it. Did her parents not realize she knew what they were doing? She got up to retreat upstairs to her room before she got any more questions when Bailey made the comment that may have doomed her.

"Daddy, I saw powice man!" She reported, looking up at Nick in excitement, jiggling her poor toy around.

"You did? Was he at the park?"

Mally stopped in her tracks and turned around, willing her little sister to shut up. Bailey looked up, realizing this was probably what Mally didn't want her to mention.

"Just kidding!" She exclaimed, keeping her eyes on Mally. Nick and Sara thought this was odd. The twins were at a very observant stage, when they were excited about everything and seeing new things. There was no doubt in Nick's mind Bailey had seen a police man, based on the excitement of when he told her. But why did she suddenly take it back? He looked from Bailey to Mally, who looked like she was just recovering from being frightened. Something was going on, involving a police man.

"Well, I'm going to go upstairs and finish cleaning my room." Mally told her parents as she reached the stairs.

"Alright, baby. Dinner will be in about and hour and a half." Sara told her daughter, as she quickly climbed the stairs to get away from the situation. Mally prayed that Bailey wouldn't mention anything more about a police officer, in order to save her butt. Her parents seemed to dismiss it away for now.

Nick had already sensed something fishy was going on. He tickled Aidan's sides and got him to laugh.

"Daddy! No tickle." He told his father, laughing.

"C'mere, bud." Nick pulled his son onto his lap and tickled at his tummy a little bit, delighting in the way he giggled. After messing around with him for a minute or so, Nick started to pop the questions.

"Did you see a policeman today too?" His voice was neutral and inviting.

Aidan was horrible at keeping secrets, and quickly forgot what Mally had told him.

"Yep, he had a hat!" Aidan reported. Bingo, thought Nick. Both twins had mentioned it to him now. He wouldn't have thought anything of it, except for the fact that Mally was being so secretive, and Bailey had changed her story so quickly. Two year olds were so easy to read.

"Cool. Where did you see him?"

"Aidan, it's a secwet!" Bailey reminded him from the floor. Sara gave her an odd look, and held her arms out for her daughter to come see her.

"We don't keep secrets." Sara told Bailey, as she let her mother gather her up into her arms.

"Mawwy said secwet." She leaned back against her mother and started playing with Sara's hands, clapping them together. Nick and Sara exchanged a suspicious look. Mally was up to something, and they didn't like the fact that the twins seemed to be involved in this somehow.

"Aidan, where'd you see the policeman?" Nick asked his son again. "And no secrets. Just tell daddy what you saw."

Aidan, of course, trusted his father, and didn't realize how much trouble he would be getting his older sister in.

"He came to Mawwy's car." He reported, remembering the incident in excitement. He'd gotten to see a police officer up close! Mally didn't seem too thrilled about it, but Bailey and Aidan sure thought it was cool.

"While she was driving?" He probed.

"No, siwwy! He put wights on and Mawwy stopped da car."

Nick rubbed his hand over his face. Mally had been pulled over, and she was trying to cover it up. But her little accomplices had given her away. She should have realized that two year olds break pretty easily.

"What did he say?" Sara asked both of them.

"He said Mawwy go too fast." Bailey reported, recounting the event.

"Did he?" Sara still tried to sound upbeat, as she didn't want to make telling the truth seem like a horrible event to the twins. "Did he do anything else?"

"He gave Mawwy pwetty yewwow paper!" Aidan told his parents. Nick put his fingers to the bridge of his nose. Mally had gotten her first ticket. And instead of telling them, she'd tried to keep it a secret, and involved the twins in it too. Nick turned to his wife.

"I need to go upstairs and deal with this." He decided, moving Aidan off his lap.

Though Nick and Mally had a good relationship, Sara sensed that sometimes she was reluctant to go to her father when she had problems, especially since she hit her teen years. He was pretty strict with his parenting methods, and Mally knew he would not be happy with her. Over the years, Sara had mostly stayed out of discipline with Mally, but in this case, she wanted to take a step in her relationship with her stepdaughter.

"Nick, let me go. I'll handle it." She put her hand on his shoulder to stop him. Nick studied his wife for a few moments. He always dealt with problems involving Mally, so he was surprised that she had volunteered out of the blue.

"Are you sure?" He checked. Nick knew she was nervous about overstepping her bounds with Mally, but after being married to her father for three years, she felt she had earned the right to talk to Mally when she was in trouble.

"Yeah." Sara pulled Bailey off her lap and set her on the couch next to Nick. "I'll find out what's going on."

Nick stayed with the twins as Sara began to climb up the stairs to Mally's room. She definitely had a different way of handling misbehavior. Sara hoped that her different approach would open up some conversation with her stepdaughter. As she approached the door, she could hear sniffling coming from inside. Sara knocked softly and called her name.

"What?" Mally asked, and Sara could tell she was trying to wipe her eyes and compose herself.

"Can I come in?" She asked gently, her hand poised at the knob. Mally waited a few seconds, checking her face in the mirror. She wouldn't be able to hide the fact she'd been crying, but that wasn't her biggest problem.

"Yeah." Mally finally said sadly.

Sara walked in and shut the door behind her, as Mally plopped herself on her bed, looking upset and sullen.

"Why are you crying, Mal?" Sara started, sitting next to her, but keeping a safe distance.

"Well, you came up here, so you must know." Mally's eyebrows knitted, staring down at her hands. She hadn't expected Sara to come upstairs and talk to her. She'd been anticipating her father coming and giving her a huge lecture.

"You mean about your ticket?"

Mally breathed out heavily in defeat and nodded sadly.

"I just…it was scary, you know?" Mally opened up, recounting the event in her head. Sara just listened, as she could tell Mally was really upset about the occurrence. "I mean, I've been trouble at home before, but never with the police. It made me feel…awful."

"I know what you mean. It just seems like the police are around to catch real criminals, and when you get pulled over, it makes you feel like you're part of the problem."

"Yeah. It really scared me." The still shaken-up high school junior revealed to her stepmother. She stole a glance at Sara, and found concern and love. Mally knew she must be angry with her, since the twins were in the car with her. She'd been speeding almost twenty miles above the limit. It meant a lot to Mally that she was taking the time to talk things out with her. Mally loved her dad, but sometimes he seemed more concerned with keeping her in line.

"Can I see your ticket?" Sara requested, wanting to see how much it was and what it was for. Mally reluctantly picked up her purse and reached down to the bottom, where she'd stuffed the yellow speeding ticket, wanting to forget about it. She handed her mother the slip and then tucked her hands underneath her thighs, staring at the floor.

"You were going forty-nine in a thirty, Mally?" Sara gaped, looking over the charges. "That was way over! And with the twins in the car?" Mally could tell Sara was upset, but she didn't yell, just spoke firmly.

"I know. I'm sorry." She said whole-heartedly. Mally knew it was a stupid thing to do, but she just wanted to get home after a long afternoon with the twins. She hoped the fact that she was doing a favor for her parents would cause them to go easy on her.

"Mally, your father and I trusted you to drive your brother and sister around. We've done it several times, and even with them in the car, you speed that much? How fast do you go when you're by yourself? When you're with your friends?" Sara worried, trying to get Mally to see how much this scared her. Teens were known to be bad drivers, but she thought Mally had more sense in her than this.

"I don't usually speed! I just wanted to get home because the twins were arguing and I'd been stuck with them all day while you and dad…whatever." Mally tried to make her point, and quickly stopped before it got embarrassing.

Sara stared back down at the ticket. It was a fine of one hundred thirty dollars, a huge amount for the already budget-tight family.

"This is going to come out of your allowance." Sara told her, keeping the ticket to show Nick later. Though she was handling it now, she was sure Nick would be having a word with his daughter later.

"What? I only get ten bucks a week!"

"Or take it out of your savings. Our money is really tight around here anyway. Your father and I won't be paying for your mistakes." Sara told her firmly. She had been known to be a bit of a pushover, especially with the twins, and she was surprised at what was coming out of her mouth.

"Fine." Mally said, then stood up in frustration, wanting the conversation to end. She stormed out of the room, tears in her eyes, and headed for the bathroom for a little privacy. Mally was, of course, never happy when she was in trouble, but in this case was really disappointed in herself. She couldn't figure out if she was glad Sara came to her room or not. There was still a bit of a 'I don't have to listen to you because you're not my mother' mentality in Mally's mind, but she appreciated the way Sara talked and listened to her.

Sara headed back down the stairs, the yellow ticket in her hand, to find Nick in the kitchen, starting dinner, as the twins played house with their Fisher Price kitchen set. Sara waved the ticket up as she joined Nick, standing in front of the stove. He took it from her hands and read it, sighing in disappointment.

"Forty nine in a thirty?" He gaped, tossing the slip on the counter. "What was she thinking?"

"She's really upset." Sara told him.

"I would be too, with the amount of trouble she's in. What did you say?"

"Well, I told her I was really disappointed that she would speed that much, especially with the twins in the car." She started, shifting her stance as Nick stirred a little vigorously at the ground beef.

"Yeah, what did she say to that?"

"She agreed. I'm just worried that if she chose to speed that much with the twins in the car, what does she do by herself or with her friends?"

"That's a scary thought." Nick admitted, picking up the saucepan to mix it in with the sauce he'd created. "How much was the ticket for?"

"A hundred thirty." Nick whistled at the amount. "I told her she'd be paying for it."

Nick looked over at his wife. She never really trusted herself to handle Mally when she misbehaved, and he figured it all stemmed from an incident that happened a few months after she'd moved in. Mally had backtalked to her when they were talking, and it seemed to frighten the new mother. Nick was happy for Sara that she'd taken it upon herself to talk with Mally without him.

"Good." He told her, nodding his head in approval. Sara seemed to have handled it so well, and he was proud of her. "Do you mind if I still talk to her? Or do you think that would undermine your talk?"

"No, go ahead." Sara made a welcoming gesture with her hand. "Do your thing. But I was really impressed with the way she admitted she was wrong. She was crying before I went in."

Nick nodded. Mally had a good head on her shoulders, and seemed to know when she crossed the line. Nick supposed that was the way he wanted her to turn out – taking responsibility for her actions. She was turning into a fine young woman right before their eyes.

"Okay." Nick gave his wife a tender kiss, cupping her face in his warm hand. "Do you think she deserves more punishment? I want her to know that her car is definitely not a toy, and if she's speeding, I'm not sure if she realizes that."

"You can add to it however you want." Sara told him, wanting Mally to learn from this. It was better now than her getting in an accident.

"And plus, she tried to hide it." Nick remembered in disappointment. In his mind, not coming forward with the truth was the same as lying. "I'll tell her no car for two weeks, except to and from school. Does that sound fair?"

"Sounds good." She whispered. Nick kissed her again and then looked into Sara's eyes.

"I'm really proud of you." He told her seriously, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "Thanks for talking to her. Sounds like you got through."

Sara nodded in appreciation, and though it felt corny, she was glad that she had Nick's approval. Sometimes he was possessive about Mally, and wanted to handle her by himself, so she was glad that this time, she had a real hand in helping their daughter.

For the rest of the night, Mally stayed up in her room after both her parents had talked to her. She truly was angry with herself, and it always hurt when her parents weren't happy with her. Before, she only really cared about what her father thought, but tonight her conversation with Sara kept replaying in her head. Mally realized that she'd truly accepted Sara into her life. She truly cared what she thought of her and her actions. After her parents had put the twins to bed, Mally finally ventured down the stairs to find them in the living room. Her father was in the recliner, already nodding off, and her mother was laying on the sofa reading. Sara looked up when she heard Mally come down the stairs. She could see that Mally still looked upset.

"Hey, Mal. Are you alright?" She asked in a gentle voice, sitting up and putting her book on the table. Mally came to sit next to her and put her head in her hands.

"Noooo…" Her voice hitched, and her breathing became a little tearful. Sara put her arm around her and pulled Mally closer to her body.

"Sweetheart, what's the matter?"

"I'm sorry! Are you disappointed in me?" She asked, surprising Sara. Mally was usually very standoffish nowadays after she'd been punished, just wanting to be by herself, and giving everyone else the cold shoulder.

"Mal, your father and I were just scared. We don't want anything to happen to you, and we were afraid you're thinking your car is a toy." She explained, remembering what Nick had said earlier. Sara glanced in his direction, and he was still fast asleep.

"I know, it was…it was stupid. I'm sorry." Mally went on, allowing Sara to stroke her back soothingly as she took deep breaths.

"Well I can tell you've learned your lesson, and you won't do it again." Sara stated positively, watching Mally closely. She'd never broken down with Sara before like this. It was difficult to watch, but strangely reassuring. Sara was always afraid Mally would hate her if she ever tried to discipline her, but that seemed to be far from the truth. It actually seemed to make Mally open up to her.

"Tomorrow's a new day. And after two weeks, you'll get your car back again full time. And I know you'll prove to us we can trust you again."

Mally nodded, wiping at her eyes. She truthfully missed having a mother for so many years, and though she'd been defensive at first, she couldn't think of another woman she'd rather have as her mom.

"Let's get you to bed." Sara whispered, helping her daughter stand up. She helped the sniffling seventeen year old upstairs and into bed, tucking her in tenderly, something she'd never done before. As Sara turned the light off, Mally's voice stopped her.

"Mom? I love you."


	6. The Interview

A/N: I've had such bad writer's block! I had an interview today, so this scenario popped in my head. I actually have some of the next chapter of Tender and Stoked fo Shizzle done, but I'm at a bit of a standstill – if anyone would be interested in reading these and offering suggestions that would be a big help! Just PM or…leave a review! Woo hoo! Anyways…thanks for sticking with me!

Mally couldn't help but smile as she knocked on the door connecting the garage to the house. She felt really uncomfortable dressed in her black and white floral print skirt, white blouse, and especially her dress shoes that were getting a bit too small. She sighed a rolled her eyes, trying to remind herself that this would make the real thing easier.

Moments later, her father opened the door and made a gesture as if to invite her in. She felt really silly now, since he was just in his jeans and a t-shirt, and she was all dressed up. Just as he told her, Mally extended her right hand to him, and offered a firm handshake.

"Good afternoon, sir. My name is Mally Stokes and I'm here to be interviewed for the sales associate opening here at the Gap." Mally said, trying to sound adult and professional, handing him her resume. This was really just like a big game of make-believe, but her dad thought it would help her prepare for her real interview.

"Wonderful! I'm Mr. Miagi, and I'm the store manager." Nick said, smiling, shaking her hand back. "My, that is quite a firm handshake you have there, Miss Stokes. That's a great first impression you made on me."

"Dad…" She giggled.

"Please sit down." He instructed her, pulling out a dining room table chair. Nick pushed away a teething ring that was sitting on his chair, hearing it plop to the floor, and sat down also. "So, Mal-ly" He deliberately mispronounced, staring at her resume. "You've never worked before, is that correct?"

"No, sir. However, I've always had chores to do at home, and have completed them well and on time." She assured her mock-interviewee.

"Right. I'll be speaking to your father about that." Nick teased her. "Tell me why you think you'd be a good employee at Gap, Incorporated."

Mally's father crossed his arms and sat back in his chair, trying to look intimidating, but just caused his daughter to laugh.

"Well, as you can see from my grade point average, I'm a very hard worker, and I don't give up easily on anything. I'm also good a working in teams, and I'm often a leader at school when we have group projects." Mally explained, trying to picture someone else in her mind in front of her, instead of her father. She'd been mortified when he'd first suggested this, but then her mother had also backed him up. Mally had never interviewed for a job before, but in order to keep up with her expensive shopping habits, she realized she would need to get a job to pay for it because they were about to cut her off. Perhaps the eighty dollar jeans was the last straw.

"What are some of your major achievements?" Nick asked her next. He knew his daughter was especially uncomfortable talking about her accomplishments, or at least extremely modest.

"Uuuummm…" She slouched a little bit and stumbled, so Nick temporarily stopped his mock-personality to correct her.

"Posture, Mal," He reminded her gently, "And if you're not sure of the answer, just take a deep breath, or ask them to come back to it later."

"I've been on the honor roll all my life, and have also been involved in numerous activities at school, like Winter Guard, and softball, and also dance classes. I think these have taught me the value of hard work and to be a team player."

"Very good, Mally." Nick praised her. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Aidan starting to crawl over to where they were sitting, starting to make his little baby noises. He'd tried to set out enough toys to keep him and Bailey occupied for twenty minutes, but alas, they were babies.

"What do you want out of life?" Nick asked next, vaguely.

"Da-a-a-ad!" Mally complained, dropping her hand to the table in mild frustration.

"It's an honest question." He told her, keeping an eye on Aidan at the same time. Nick never had the opportunity to ask her this question straight-up in real life, so this mock interview was the perfect time.

"I guess…" Mally started, but then started over when her father shook his head a little bit at her weak beginning, "I would like to go to school to become an elementary teacher. I really enjoy working with kids, and having much younger siblings has really affirmed that for me."

Aidan had finally worked his way over to the table, and was drooling on his father's tennis shoe. Nick looked down and made a funny face, and decided he needed to pick his son up.

"Pardon me. I couldn't find a babysitter for my young son during your interview." Nick told her, causing Mally to giggle. He picked Aidan up and held him out, looking at his sweet, pudgy face, as he sucked on his fingers and gurgled.

"What do you think, Aidan? Does she look like a good employee?" Nick asked his son, turning him around and sitting him on his lap. Aidan looked at his big sister and smiled, causing Mally to do the same. She couldn't resist reaching out and tickling her brother on the chin. Nick mocked being offended and batted her hand away.

"Excuse me, I'm not sure if that's appropriate behavior to be touching your interviewer's baby." He furrowed his brows and repositioned Aidan on his lap. "It's okay, bud, she's not going to hurt you."

"Do you have any more questions for me?" Mally asked him, giving him an amused look. She wanted to get back into her sweats to enjoy the rest of her Sunday.

"Are there any guarantees that you won't be spending your entire paycheck on store merchandise?" Nick asked her. He was a little worried about his daughter getting a job at one of her favorite clothing stores. She would get a discount, but he could still imagine all her money going straight back into the store.

"No. In fact, the reason I'm getting a job is so I can have more money to buy clothes. And I'm sure my father knows that." She smiled, and he cleared his throat in amusement.

"Right, and I'm sure he'd also like you to save your money for college, so you can buy textbooks." He reminded her, turning Aidan around when he started coughing. Nick grabbed a spit-up towel from the kitchen bar behind him and started to burp his son.

"And you do understand that any flirting with male employees will result in immediate dismissal, and your parents will be notified." Nick teased, knowing just how into boys his daughter was getting. It scared that crap out of him when she went out in a group with her friends when boys were involved. He wasn't allowing her to date yet, something that she protested all the time. Nick also realized that her getting a job would also give her more time around the male species, but hopefully it would teach her more responsibility.

"Dad, seriously…"

"Alright, alright." Nick stood up, repositioning Aidan so that his right arm was free. "Thank you for your time, Miss Stokes." He extended his hand to his daughter once again. "I would love to have you on board as one of my new employees."

Mally shook his hand back and smiled up at him.

"Thanks, daddy."

Nick surprised her by tickling her side a little, causing her to yelp in laughter.

"Calling your interviewer daddy probably won't help your chances of being hired, little lady." Nick told her, tickling her still.

"Stop! Stop!" She squirmed away from his hand. "Would you really hire me, daddy, or are you just being nice?"

"No, you gave good answers, and you sounded really confident. I'd definitely hire you, baby." He assured her, bringing her into a hug and kissing her forehead sweetly.

Nick wondered how much longer she'd allow him to hug and kiss her so much. He hoped that was something he'd never have to give up. Mally was growing up so fast, about to turn sweet sixteen already. Getting a job was one step closer to her becoming an adult.

"Just remember to sit up straight, and try not to say um."

"I will, dad. I'm going to go change out of this…thing." She told him, kissing his cheek and then tickling her little brother. Mally turned to go upstairs. She looked so grown-up, dressed in the skirt and blouse, her hair perfectly done. Nick thought he'd made so many mistakes as a parent, but seeing her conducting herself so well, he knew he'd done something right.

"Sweetheart, you look beautiful. And very professional." He told her, causing her to pause on the stairs. She turned around and smiled at him. Then, Mally walked back down the steps she had climbed and gave him another big, warm hug.

"Thank you, daddy. Thanks for helping me." She told him sincerely. Nick winked at her and Mally once again turned to go up the stairs. His little girl was quickly growing up, but he hoped she'd always keep a special place in her heart for him.


	7. N Sync Concert

_A/N: I got this idea from a commercial I remember from a few years back about a dad taking this carload of girls to a boyband concert. I can just see Nick doing this. And yes, I was an 'N Sync and Backstreet Boys fan back in the day. The twins, Sara, and Mari aren't in this, b/c the timeline would be off, since boy bands ruled the word from approximately 1998-2002. Haha. Enjoy and please reviewww!!_

Nick sighed heavily the way only a grown man in his situation could, securing his sunglasses in position on his face as the load of nine year old girls piled into the back seats of his Denali one Friday evening in July. He turned his head to make sure Mally and all her little friends found a place to sit and buckled in, and was surprised they'd managed to take even a moment's break in their giggling and generally girly behavior to do so.

"Everyone buckled up?" He asked loudly over their excited chatter and the bouncing of their bottoms of the seats.

"Yes, Daddy!" Mally answered for her friends, sitting in one of the second row seats. Natalie was across from her, and her other friends Madeline and Emma sat in the very back. All were adorned in partially sequined jeans, 'N Sync t-shirts or tank tops, bandanas, all topped with a distracting amount of face paint and glitter claiming which boy bander was her favorite (his own daughter had a gimundo crush on Justin, of course, and would sometimes write her name as Mally Stokes Timberlake). Nick let out a little chuckle as he looked at the set of them. They were nine years old, just getting into that preteen girl phase he had been dreading since Mally was born. As a teenage boy he couldn't stand it. All the girls went ga-ga over these little boy groups, who had not one ounce of talent, and lip synched to music that shouldn't even be given that distinction, written by somebody else. It was all noise, noise, noise, which Nick had had the unfortunate experience of listening to, stereo turned up to level 20 (the loudest he allowed Mally), seven days a week, for at least the past year. He was embarrassed to admit (though not to any adult he knew) that he knew all the words to both of 'N Sync's albums (and select songs from their Christmas effort), and could practically play all the music videos in his head if he wanted to, which honestly, he would rather gouge out his own eyes. And now here he was, at the age of 33, taking four little girls to the 'N Sync _No Strings Attached_ concert. There was really no way he'd rather spend his Friday evening. Do you detect a hint of sarcasm here?

"Daddy, put this in, please." Mally requested, holding her over-played bright orange CD over his shoulder. Nick took it from her and briefly considered chucking it out the window, but he didn't feel like battling four fourth graders over that stunt. He sighed as he ejected his Keith Urban disc, tossing in his country collection inside his console, and popped in the crap.

"Skip to _Bye Bye Bye_!" The order came from Natalie, Grissom and Catherine's daughter. Sadly, Nick knew exactly what track that was, and quickly found it to appease his daughter and her trio of friends. The "music" played as Nick pulled out of his driveway, and the girls began singing along, pumping their fists and mimicking the dance moves from the video as best they could. For nine year olds they were pretty good, he thought. The girls had even formed their own mock-'N Sync group, using Natalie's dog Hebo as the must-needed fifth member. Nick had hours of their living room and backyard performances on tape, which Mally regularly watched and reviewed. They were planning on performing in their elementary school's upcoming talent show.

Nick had received so much grief from the Grissoms about this little outing, but honestly, how could he deny his only daughter the chance to see her idols, even if he thought, no, knew they were complete crap? Mally adored those five girly men more than him, he sometimes worried. Dozens of posters adorned her walls, overpriced dolls were displayed in her room, and of course the songs blared from beneath her door every waking hour of the day. Nick figured it wasn't the worst thing in the world to be into. In a few years, she would be into real life boys – boys that he might have to scare off. She might be tempted to smoke a cigarette, have sex, or do drugs. Being into 'N Sync wasn't so bad.

"Bye byyyyyyyyyyeeeee!!! Baaaaabyyyy!!" The four girls screamed JC's line near the 'climax' of the song. Okay, maybe it was bad. Nick sighed and rubbed at his eyes with his fingertips, trying to ward off a mounting headache. He knew that if he fought the feeling, like Mally accused him of doing, he was not going to have a pleasant evening. Sure, his hearing would be severely compromised by the concert's end, but that was to be expected.

Nick looked out the window as he passed through another neighborhood, and glanced at two people obviously arguing in the front yard. The girl was dressed in shorts and a tank top, a pony tail on her head during this hot summer day, pointing and yelling quite adamantly at an older man, which Nick guessed to be her father. She was probably around sixteen, and he could remember back to his own upbringing the arguments he and his siblings, especially his sisters, would have with their father. Just regular teenager stuff, arguing about curfew times, clothes, schoolwork, respect. It was a rough time in any kid's life.

Nick glanced back in the rearview mirror and caught his daughter's eyes. She was smiling at him with pure joy on her face as she sang along to _Bringin' Da Noise, _another crappy song from yours truly. Nick smiled at her, squinting slightly in the sunlight, and had to chuckle at the girls' antics. His daughter was nine years old – a great age. She still seemed to adore him, or at least not mind him much. She still wanted to play games with him, go places with him, get tickled, and wake him up in the middle of the night when she had a bad dream. Mally had always been his little girl, and he realized that things wouldn't always be that way. When she was sixteen, she would probably talk back to him, roll her eyes, and lock herself up in her room in the evening. But right now, she liked to watch TV with him on the couch, kick his butt at Monopoly, and confide in him about her seemingly insurmountable dilemmas. He was her hero. And he was complaining about her wanting him to take her and her little friends to a concert? What a great problem to have.

Mally made an exceptionally silly attempt at one of the trademark dance moves, causing the girls to giggle. She was really an extraordinary child, at least in his eyes. Mally had been dealt a tough set of cards early on, but she was doing well enough to have some great friends, make good grades, have a great sense of humor, and make him very very proud in the process. He joined in the laughter, the lines spreading all over his face, because their little girl cackling and juvenile obsession were tickling his soul. Nick was happy to be out with his daughter and her hyper friends.

As the next song came on, Nick decided to throw it all to the wind, and began moving his head to the beat a little, tapping the steering wheel. The girls ate his participation right up, and the trip turned in to a how-to car dancing lesson. And wouldn't you know, Nick was one of the few fathers who actually danced and sang along with his daughter that night, and he couldn't care less what Grissom thought.


	8. Trouble With Homework

Aidan Stokes laid on his bed backwards, listening to the sounds of his younger sister playing down the hallway, wishing he was that young again. Being eight was hard work. After a rather brief effort at his book report, a rather lousy attempt by his standards which left him feeling disappointed in himself, Aidan had opted to take a break to clear his mind. He couldn't concentrate with the deadline looming too soon, just ahead on Friday. Aidan had read his assigned book, Judy Blume's _Fudge_, multiple times, and knew it back to front, but had trouble putting his thoughts together. Watching the minutes tick by, he knew that one of his parents would be checking on him any moment now, and he would be met by a stern parental look, and a warning to get his act in gear. He wished he could focus on this darn report, but he couldn't! All he kept thinking about was how, on Friday, he would have to stand up in front of his classmates and talk about his report. That frightened him even worse than the boogie monster when he was little. Him, stand up in front of his peers? He might as well stand up there in his underwear, for all the suffering and humiliation this would put him through.

Mari cackled loudly at something, and Aidan wished he were that innocent still. His kid sister was only three. She had to go to preschool, but that was a piece of cake. She never had to worry about book reports, homework deadlines, or Mom and Dad scolding her for any more than not cleaning up her messes. Aidan had to deal with real pressure here. The pressures of third grade were far more difficult than second and first grade combined. Oh, to be young and innocent again!

Moments later, he heard the low, friendly voice of his father coming up the stairs, saying something to Mari as she built a Lego fort in the hallway. He pictured his dad now in a few moments, threatening to ground him and telling him he was about the worst student that had ever walked this earth. He'd accuse him of not even trying, which Aidan supposed he wasn't really. He would try if he could get past his fear of speaking in front of twenty-three other third graders. Aidan gulped and closed his eyes as he waited for his father to come check on him. There wasn't even any use in getting up and going to his desk to act like he'd been working. The blank page would speak for itself.

Nick Stokes knocked moments later on his son's door, and heard a pitiful _come in_. He'd predicted that perhaps Aidan would have a little more trouble with this assignment, in contrast to his twin sister. Bailey lived for this sort of assignment – to get to stand up in front of other kids and talk about herself and her work. She had finished within the first week of the project being assigned to every single class in the third grade. Bailey had even been polishing her performance the last few days, adding movements and visual displays, while her brother stared at the assignment sheet for minutes on end. Nick could just see it in his eyes, as Aidan looked up shamefully at him upside down on his bed, that he was terrified.

"How's it going, there, bud?" He asked his son after closing the door behind him. Nick pulled out his desk chair, glancing down at his predictably blank composition book. Tilting his head to look at his face, Nick felt his suspicions were correct. This was the hardest assignment Aidan had ever had to do.

"Not so great." Aidan admitted lowly, his feet fidgeting back and forth in nervousness.

"Not so great, huh?" Nick clarified, leaning forward onto his thighs with his forearms to talk to his son a little closer. "Well, is laying there on your bed helping to get your book report done?"

A troubled sigh. "No, sir."

"Mmmhmm." Nick agreed, studying his only son. As a child, Nick had always been active, sociable, one hundred percent little boy. Aidan seemed to have trouble with certain things, mostly confidence-related. He tended to write himself off before he even tried at something. Speaking in front of his peers, even just a small crowd of four or five, scared the shit out of him. Nick tried to imagine what must be going through his head right now. "Do you need some help?"

Aidan was surprised he wasn't lecturing him on the value of a hard work ethic, so he looked over at his dad to check his sincerity. That helpful father look was on his face, so Aidan knew it was safe. He pushed himself to a sitting position, nodding his slightly crumpled head. His parents rarely helped him with homework, firm believers that their children needed to do their assignments completely independently. In cases like this, however, when a child was too stunned and frightened to even begin an assignment, they made an exception.

"What have you been thinking so far?" Nick asked him as his son stood up from the bed and walked to his desk. He wheeled the chair back over so they could both look at the book, and the assignment sheet of requirements. Nick let his son sit in the chair now, so he could write properly, while he overlooked and made suggestions.

"Um, well we're supposed to start off saying the title and author." He started, thinking that was really easy to write down, but really hard to say when he would probably freeze up in front of all Miss Kleinfelt's class.

Nick nodded and smiled a little. "Okay. So write that down. Who's the author?" He prompted him, getting things rolling.

"Judy Blume." Aidan wrote the name on the author line in his neatest penmanship, followed by the book title.

"Good. What else do we have here?" Nick moved his pointer finger along the next required components. Quickly, Aidan had written down the publisher, copyright year, main characters, and number of pages, which would be needed for his written report. That part wouldn't be so bad, but Aidan knew that once that was finished, he'd really have to concentrate on his oral presentation. Avoidance and procrastination was part of his master plan.

"Alright. Now the tricky part. You need to tell about what happens in the book. The important parts, and the main plot. You want to convince them it's a good book to read." Nick explained, knowing his teacher had discussed these elements with the class. It was the doing that was tripping Aidan up at the moment.

"So maybe I could talk about Peter and what he thinks about his little brother." Aidan connected things together.

"Very good." Nick praised him, giving him a supportive pat on the back, as Aidan wrote down that idea to finish later. For the next few minutes, he and Aidan discussed what he should include in the report, and some things to leave out. By the end of about ten minutes, Aidan was feeling much better about the report. However, Nick could see in his face that what truly terrified him hadn't been addressed yet.

"So, Aidan." He cleared his throat and adjusted his stance. "I get the feeling this assignment makes you pretty nervous." Nick put it out on the table, knowing Aidan wasn't always that great about just coming out and telling people what was bothering him.

Aidan looked up at him, and could tell he cared. He was really concerned about him, and that already made him feel better. Aidan wished his father would see how distraught he was over the situation, call up his teacher, and make her cancel the oral part of his assignment. That would make things all better, but Aidan was smart enough to know that wouldn't happen. Practice makes perfect, he'd been told, but what if the practice killed you?

"I don't wanna do it." Aidan confessed, sighing and looking back at his paper, and away from Nick's eyes.

"I know it's hard, bud, and you're sick of hearin' this," Nick began, kneeling down to his son's level. "But it gets easier after you do this a lot. It's scary for shy kids to get up in front of people, but that's how you get good at it."

"Well, I don't want to be good at it." Aidan countered, his knitted eyebrows showing his obvious worry as he looked at Nick. "I don't ever want to do it, and I'm gonna get a job when I grow up where I don't have to do it." He decided.

Nick smirked a little. He was missing the point. There really wasn't any way to avoid public speaking at certain points. Aidan would have to deal with this all throughout his school years, so he'd have to figure out a way to cope.

"Aidan, speaking in front of others is a natural part of school, and work, and life." Nick explained patiently, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "You have to speak to people to get information across. It's just part of life, and one day, you won't even think twice about doing it. It'll just come natural."

"I don't think so." Aidan muttered, tracing over the dark brown lines in his wood desk, anything to not concentrate on this horrible task at hand. His father was trying to make him feel better, but he was reminding him that he'd still have to do this many, many times. In fourth grade, fifth grade, not to even mention sixth grade! Aidan was sure he was going to die of humiliation.

Nick sighed. "You're too hard on yourself, son." He wished he could give his own example of a speaking assignment gone wrong, but the truth was that he had always been a natural speaker, like Bailey was. Crowds didn't intimidate him, so an assignment like this wouldn't have bothered a young Nick at all. The only thing nowadays that made him a little nervous was court appearances for his cases. "Sometimes, you have to think about the reward after the hard work."

Aidan's eyebrows knitted again in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Nick rested his chin in his hand on top of the desk. "Well, when I'm really nervous about something, like sometimes when I have to go to court, I think about how relieved I'm going to feel afterwards. It feels really good when I get something I was worried about done and over with. Like a big test." He went on.

"When Mally was in elementary school, she used to hate spelling tests on Fridays. But you know, she would just remind herself of how she would feel Friday after taking it, and she did just fine. She also had little ways of rewarding herself."

Aidan was listening curiously. "Like what?"

Nick cleared his throat in amusement. "Well, don't tell anyone, but when she was real little, like in first grade, I would promise to play Barbies with her after school." He smiled when he saw Aidan laugh at that mental picture. "Yeah, haha. And as she got older, she would save her allowance, and I would always take her out for ice cream after school on Fridays, or we would go to the ball park to play catch."

Aidan perked up at that suggestions. "Mmm. Ice cream." His stomach churned in want at the mere mention of it, just as Nick had predicted.

"Uh-huh. And I think, that as a reward for being brave on Friday, I just may take you out for an ice cream cone on me." He presented the reward option.

Though he was trying to act cooler these days, Aidan gasped at the promise like a preschooler. "Really?"

Nick nodded and patted his back again. "Really. I know this is hard for you, but a lot of life is about working hard, and then playing afterwards." He tried to present the life lesson to his son. There was nothing wrong with a little celebration or reward after a daunting task had been completed. That's how he had gotten through college.

"Awesome! Thanks, Dad." Aidan leaned over and received a warm embrace from his father, a far cry from the stern talking-to he had anticipated. He should have known that his dad would sense how scared he was, and try to help him out. Aidan sighed in contentment as his father patted his back in encouragement. This is why he loved his dad so much. He always had a way of putting a brighter spin on things; of taming his worries about seemingly overwhelming things, and making them seem like child's play. In later years, Aidan would look back on moments like these with fondness, because it gave him the strength to try new and challenging things; things he never would dream he'd be doing at the age of eight, like being on the debate team in high school, and performing in a couple plays. Aidan had a great role model in his father, something he would be reminded of day after day for many years to come.


	9. Take Your Daughter to Work Day

"Mally, I guess I don't see your point." Nick informed his seventeen-year-old daughter one evening as he sifted through the mail, making one pile for bills, and the other for miscellaneous things. Aidan was sitting contentedly on the counter next to his piles, keeping his father company, playing with one of his Fantastic Four action figures that looked like a piece of poop. His oldest daughter was sitting on one of the bar stools in front of him, trying to convince him to let her come to work with him for Take Your Daughter to Work Day. "You've been to work with me plenty of times."

"But this time will be special." She countered pleasantly, but there was a twinge of frustration in her voice. Mally just desperately wanted a day away from the tediousness of daily school life, and had jumped at the chance to join in on the nation-wide job shadowing day.

Nick glanced over at her, and then dropped a bill into the appropriate pile. "How so?" He was slightly suspicious of her eagerness to accompany him. Over the years, she'd probably come to work with him several dozen times, whether it was because he couldn't find a babysitter, or to pop in quickly on his day off to get something. She was very spoiled by his coworkers when she went. Greg showed her his DNA machines, Sara showed her the pink fingerprint dust that Nick refused to keep in his kit, and Grissom let her see his butterfly collection. Nick didn't see how she could have really missed something over the years.

"It just is, Dad." She really couldn't explain herself, and hadn't anticipated her dad being suspicious. Mally figured her dad would be thrilled to have her with her at work for a day. "Don't you want your little girl to see what you do?"

Nick smirked and quirked an eyebrow at her. "My little girl has already seen what I do many times." He easily countered, as he gently confiscated a container of oregano from his son before he made a mess.

Mally sighed and crossed her arms. "You've never taken me to a crime scene." She tried.

Nick's eyes immediately met his daughter's, his face questioning. She didn't honestly want to go to a crime scene, did she? "Mal, a crime scene is no place for a kid. I don't want you to see that kind of thing."

"I'm almost eighteen." She countered, feeling brave. Mally often wondered about just what her parents saw at work. They saw awful things every day, and they were still relatively normal, so why couldn't she handle it? "I can handle more than you think."

Nick eyed her again and then cleared his throat, lifting his son up and placing him on the floor. "Bud, why don't you go find Momma and Bailey." He gave his son a little push in the direction of the stairs. Aidan screeched a little as he ran off, and Nick placed his hands on the counter, extending his arms out as he leaned in. Mally didn't seem to understand just how intense a crime scene was. He regularly felt nauseous still, after fifteen years of doing this job.

"Mally, there is no way in hell I am ever taking you to a crime scene." He informed her calmly. "Why do you even want to see one?"

His teenager sighed heavily and leaned her head against her arm. "Why not? It's something I've never experienced, and you say it all the time that I should experience new things."

"I was talking about college, not seeing dead bodies."

"Well, I want to see one. Not like a mass murder, maybe just a minor scene."

Nick cleared his throat again as he walked around the kitchen counter, crossing his arms as he did so. Obviously, his daughter had been thinking about this a fair deal, so he decided to turn it into a discussion. She was, as she had pointed out, nearly an adult (in the legal sense anyway, to say nothing of her housekeeping habits or choice of television). He came to stand to the side of where she was sitting and make her prove her point.

"So, let's say I let you come to me with a crime scene." He hypothesized. "What would you do?"

Mally seemed to perk up at the fact he was actually willing to discuss this with her. Not that he'd ever let her near one of his crime scenes. "Well, I wouldn't touch anything, unless you told me to, and I'd have gloves on." She remembered that piece of advice that Greg had given her last time she'd come in and asked about his first time in the field.

Nick nodded and continued to study her closely. She never had any hint of interest in science; hated it with a passion. She'd come close to failing chemistry earlier in the school year.

"And I would just follow you around and help out whenever it was needed." She finished her explanation with a nod.

"You hate blood." He pointed out. "And science."

"I hate spewing blood. If the person's already dead, I don't think it would bother me."

Nick nodded and scrubbed a hand over his mouth and chin. She didn't know the smell of blood, the smell of a dead body, the feeling of finality at a crime scene. He knew his daughter well, and was almost certain any crime scene would give her nightmares for months. However, he was fascinated that she seemed so into this.

"You've never seen or smelled a dead body. It's pretty nasty." Nick knew he could just tell her she wasn't going to any crime scene, but this was more interesting, hearing about her take on things and debating with her.

His daughter shrugged. "There's a first time for everything."

"I guess so." He cleared his throat. "Listen, Mal. I don't mind you coming to the lab with me if you really feel you must, but I don't feel comfortable taking you to a crime scene. Believe me, it's too much."

She rolled her eyes. "Dad! Why won't you even let me try?"

"Legality for one. If you accidentally messed something up at a crime scene, CSI would be in a load of shit. And I just don't want you to see the things I see."

She had that look on her face that clearly displayed she was annoyed with him. One deep breath, and then she pushed herself away with her hands from the counter and stood up abruptly.

"Fine. I'll go to the lab with you again. Whoop-de-do." She stormed off up to her bedroom, upset that her dad still thought of her as a little girl. Her father sighed as he watched her leave, wishing she could understand why he didn't want her to see all that. It's not that he didn't want her around him. He loved being around Mally. But Nick remembered vividly his first crime scene, and he had been prepared ahead of time by going to trainings, seeing photos of crime scenes. And he was a guy. Girls, especially his daughter, was squeamish about things like blood and dead bodies, though for some reason she wasn't admitting that to herself. As he was trying to figure out what to do, Sara came down the stairs with Bailey in her arms, and Aidan tagging along just behind her.

"Daddy, I cleaned my room!" Bailey reported proudly as Sara handed her over to her father. From the look on his wife's face, Nick could tell this had not been an easy feat.

"You did?" He adjusted her in his arms and gave her cheek a kiss. "Good girl. Did you listen to Mommy?"

She put a finger in her mouth and looked at her mother for the answer. She'd listened part of the time. Sara raised her eyebrows. "At times. She gets easily distracted."

Nick nodded, knowing precisely what she was talking about. "Can she go play?" He asked his wife, letting her make the choice as to whether she deserved it. Sara pondered for a few moments, while Bailey gave her an angelic smile, hugging her father's neck like the good child she sometimes decided to be.

"I suppose, until dinner time."

The twins simultaneously exclaimed in celebration. Nick let his youngest daughter down on the floor and they both ran to the sliding glass door which led to the backyard. He slid it open and watched the twins scurry out towards the sandbox. The fenced in yard would keep them within eye's view. Nick turned back to Sara after he'd closed the screen door.

"Is Mally upset?" Sara immediately asked, having heard her stomp up the stairs and close her door a bit loudly.

He nodded and ran his hand through his short brown hair as he sighed. "She wants to come to Take Your Daughter to Work Day, but she wants to come to a crime scene with me." Nick's face contorted at this ill thought.

"A crime scene?" Sara checked. "Why would she ever want to see that?"

"Beats me." He shrugged. "We talked about it and I tried to explain it's no place for her, but she got upset with me. Stormed off."

"Want me to talk to her?"

"Nah. I'll give her some space for a while. I didn't think she'd be having tantrums at age seventeen." He admitted, though it was hardly that dramatic. Mally just didn't storm off like that too often, so he could tell this was somewhat important to her. Why, he didn't know. That part was still puzzling him.

About half an hour later, after he'd put the dinner in the oven to bake, Nick climbed the stairs up to his oldest's room. He knocked and proceeded inside, finding Mally at her desk, struggling through some chemistry homework, seemingly busying herself with another task. It was her preferred method of distraction from a problem, he knew. She didn't say a word to him as he walked over and sat on her bed, right next to where she was working at her desk. When Mally didn't even acknowledge him, he spoke up.

"Mal, we need to talk." He said softly.

A huff, but still no eye contact. "You don't want me at work. I get it." She reminded him shortly, vigorously erasing an incorrect answer she'd just spent about five minutes trying to solve.

"I still don't think you understand why." He told her, glancing at her work, then back up at her face.

"Why does it matter? You won't let me go." Nick thought he heard tears threatening her throat as she tossed her pencil onto her notebook and leaned back, crossing her arms.

"Do you know how long it takes to even get used to the sight of a dead body?" He asked her flat out. "Years. Took me even longer to learn how to stomach a crime scene, and I was older than you. You're innocent, Mally, and you don't need to see that sort of thing unless you have to."

"You're bored with me." She blurted, and offered no explanation as her fingers journeyed upwards towards her cheekbones, then her temples, shielding her eyes from his view.

Nick's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Bored with you?" He repeated for clarification, but didn't get a response. "Mally, why would you think I'm bored with you?"

She shrugged and he heard a tearful sniffle. Mally leaned forward on her desk, turning her head away from him so he had to talk to the back of her head. Nick didn't say anything for a few moments, trying to figure out exactly what to say. He could never be bored with any of his children. They were by far the most rewarding, interesting beings he'd ever come into contact with. He learned things about each of them every day, including this about Mally today.

"Sweetheart, is this about the twins?" He ventured a guess. Another shrug was all he got. "Mally, you know how special you are to me. It was me and you for eleven years. You're one of my best buds."

"And you don't think I can handle adult things." She accused him softly.

Nick swallowed before continuing. "I do think you can handle adult things. You're responsible, a good student, a good driver, and I trust you very much. But going to a crime scene is not part of being an adult. It's part of being in law enforcement. You can't expect yourself to prove to me you're an adult by goin' to a crime scene."

Mally knew her father loved his work. He was proud of it, and respected people in this community that were good at their jobs. Though she knew it was stupid, Mally just wanted him to somehow have that kind of respect for her. Not that she wanted to major in criminal justice in college; she just wanted to experience a little bit of what he did every day.

"I just want you to be proud of me." Her fingers finally ventured away from her face, because he was making her feel more at ease. Nick put his hand on her back and rubbed circles to calm her down a bit more, and remind her how much he loved her.

"Hey. You make me so proud in more ways than you could ever know."

Slightly teary eyes met his and she offered him a small smile, then finally leaned over to accept a warm hug from him. He embraced her fully, hoping she sincerely knew how much he loved her. She was his daughter, and that was enough. Like Brass had once said to his own daughter, all she had to do to make him proud was to come home at the end of the day. Seeing her was his greatest pleasure as a father.

After a nice length hug, Mally pulled back and chuckled a bit in embarrassment as she wiped her eyes. "Sorry. I've been emotional."

"S'okay." He assured her, smoothing out a piece of stray hair. "You can always talk to me. I'm glad you told me what was bothering you."

"Yeah, me too." She admitted as she let out a relieved breath. Mally should have known from the beginning she should have just talked to him. "I still do want to come to the lab with you, if that's okay."

Nick cleared his throat. "Tell me, is this just to get away from school for the day?"

Mally smiled and looked at her feet. "And to spend time with you. And let Greg entertain me."

Nick chuckled. "Sign yourself up. Everyone loves when you visit, and I'll put you to work." He stood up and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. Nick loved watching his daughter interact with everyone at work. She was friendly, bubbly, and a real riot, frankly. That's what made him so proud. "Dinner's in twenty minutes."

"Okay." She told him as he walked to her door. "Oh, and Dad?"

Nick stopped at the door and turned back to her, raising his eyebrows, waiting for what she had to say. "I think I would vomit if I ever even saw a crime scene photo." She admitted sheepishly.

Her father chuckled and smiled as he shook his head. "I know, baby. I know."


	10. Favorite Daughter

"Daddy, do you have a favorite daughter?" Five year old Mari asked out of the blue as she sat with Nick at the kitchen table, making a gingerbread house for Christmas. Nick was concentrating on gluing a Twizzler to the roof of the house when his youngest daughter's question caught him off guard. He glanced momentarily at his wife in the kitchen, who gave him an amused look, indicating he was on his own on this one. Nick could practically hear her telling him, _Good luck with this one, Nicky_.

Nick bit his lip a little bit as he contemplated how to answer. Mari, with her big blue eyes, stared back at him, waiting patiently for an answer to her genuine question.

"Why do you ask that, baby?" He first inquired, dabbing on a bit more of the edible glue that wasn't holding this house together too well. The walls had collapsed twice already.

The kindergartener, and youngest of the Stokes clan, shrugged her tiny shoulders, though she knew perfectly well why she was asking. Mari just wanted a totally honest answer. She had a favorite hamster, a favorite TV show, and a favorite food. Mommies and Daddies must have favorite children.

"Parents don't have favorites, baby. I love all four of you the exact same." He explained honestly. Each of his children were unique, and he loved them all without question. It was hard to explain to a young child, though, how you couldn't ever love one more than the other. Mari had an inquiring mind.

"But how about the girls?" She asked, noticing a piece of icing caked to some of her hair. She carefully picked it off and touched the sugary substance to her tongue. It was so hard not to eat that gingerbread house right now. "Don't you love Mally more?"

Nick put down his glue and looked at his five year old. He motioned for her to come to him, and she carefully hopped down from her chair opposite him and scurried over to him. Moments later, she was in his lap, waiting for him to explain.

"Sweetheart, I know it's hard to understand, but I love you all the same." He started.

"But you've known Mally the longest and it was just you and her for a long time." She pointed out smartly. It was true that Nick had a very special bond with his oldest daughter for that reason. He had raised her by himself up until he and Sara started dating when she was eleven. It was a special relationship, but he loved her no more, no less than the other three.

"That's true. But when I think back to when Mally was five, and when the twins were five, I love you all the exact same. I may know more about Mally and have done more with her, but I still have that to look forward to with you." Sara was listening curiously from the kitchen still, thinking he had some pretty good answers to their precocious daughter's inquiries.

"But Bailey is the baddest. Do you love her less?" Her little mind wondered. Nick smirked in amusement. Bailey had gotten into more than her fair share of trouble over the years, and was definitely the most challenging of the bunch. She was maturing now at the age of ten, but still got herself into trouble on a semi-regular basis.

"Well, I don't like it when she misbehaves, but that doesn't mean I don't like _her_. It's the choices she makes that I don't like. I still love her the same."

Mari nodded in understanding, looking down at the array of candy on the table, all within her grasp. She reached out and picked up a jelly bean, popping it into her mouth, then turned to grin up at her father.

"You're not supposed to eat those, squirt." He chided her in jest.

"I can't help it." She grabbed another one and held it up to Nick's mouth. He smirked and accepted it. Mari tossed it into his mouth a little harder than necessary for comfort.

"Thank you, baby."

Sara had been opening mail in the kitchen and came across three envelopes from the kids' school. Progress reports, she assumed. She had already opened up Mari and Aidan's, which showed very good progress in their assigned grade levels. Aidan was in Academic Challenge at school, so his classwork was a bit more challenging than his sister's, who was still in regular education courses. Still, as she scanned Bailey's report, he managed to pull better grades.

Sara let out an amused chuckle as she viewed the grades. Nick looked over at her, with Mari still snugly sitting in his lap as they worked on the gingerbread house. "What?"

"Is there something we don't know about Bailey?" She started, walking over to the kitchen table with the paper. "She has a B+ in Spanish, and a C in English."

Nick took the paper from her hands to scan the marks for himself. Sure enough, their daughter had scored better in a foreign language than her own.

"That's peculiar." He commented as he scanned her other grades, mostly B's, a couple C's, and one A. Nowhere near her potential. "Why are they taking Spanish in elementary school anyway?" He handed her back the paper.

"It's easier for kids to learn a new language. It's fairly new at their school." Sara explained, waving the paper back and forth in her hand softly.

"Do I get to take Spanish?" Mari asked hopefully as she stole a gum drop from the table.

"Stop, you're not gonna want to go to sleep." Sara reprimanded her lightly. "And yes, in first grade you'll get Spanish lessons too. Did you get a look at her behavior marks?"

Nick shook his head, and Sara held the paper out for him to look at. "Wow. She actually improved." He commented, seeing good behavior marks in her regular classroom, and all her specials, like art, music, and Spanish.

On her previous report card, her behavior marks had taken a dip. It turned out her medication for ADHD had lost its effectiveness. Her body had gotten too used to it, so they'd recently taken her to the doctor and upped her dosage. The results indicated that seemed to be working, at least for now.

Sara smiled at him. "Go figure."

Nick smirked and chuckled a little. "Did I do good Mommy?" Mari asked, swinging her feet a little.

"You did very well, baby." Sara tousled her hair a little, smiling about the fact she was so excited about school still. All her marks had been satisfactory, or outstanding, and she had very good citizenship skills.

"Bailey! Aidan!" Nick called the twins, who were both up in their rooms, hopefully doing homework and not playing video games. All four of his kids were doing well at the moment, and he wanted to take a moment to just bask in that realization. He and Sara were doing something right, to have a twenty-three year old daughter excelling in her first year of teaching just outside of Las Vegas, ten year old twins that were doing well in school and behaving, and a delightful little five year old, who loved blowing bubbles in her chocolate milk.

The twins came down a few moments later, wondering what their dad wanted. He seemed to have some sort of a smile on his face. They walked into the kitchen, Bailey leaning against the counter, and Aidan tipping one of the chairs. "Yeah?" He asked.

"Just wanted to say good job on your schoolwork." He told them both. "Your progress reports came."

Aidan smiled a little, and Bailey seemed surprised. Usually, there was at least something negative on her report cards and progress reports, but her father seemed pleased with her this time. She knew she hadn't outperformed her brother – she never would – but maybe she hadn't gotten that many C's this time.

"Aidan." Sara called softly from where she was in the kitchen now, looking at his progress report. He'd gotten straight A's so far this nine weeks, but she didn't want to say that out loud in front of Bailey, because she got upset sometimes that school was so much harder for her. Sara still wanted Aidan to be proud of his work, though, because she could see so much of herself in her son. He worked hard, but didn't brag about it. A shy kid that was a smart cookie, and didn't have any enemies to speak of. Aidan was a good kid, and she was proud of him. He smiled when his mother showed him his report and patted his shoulder.

"Way to go, buddy." She praised him. "You've been working hard again."

"Yeah. AC is hard, but I like it." He told her, scanning over all his A's again. Sara knew what that felt like – she lived for those perfect lines across the page, all in a row, all identical. All A's.

Nick had meanwhile summoned his middle daughter over and showed her her own progress report. He had his free arm around her now, rubbing her back as she scanned her improved grades and behavior marks.

"I did better in Spanish than English!" She exclaimed in amusement as she looked them over.

Nick smiled. "Yeah, how about that. Any idea why? Are you part Spanish or something?"

She laughed and shook her head. "Nooo, Daddy. Maybe I should move to Mexico when I grow up."

Though it was only a joke, Nick didn't think he could bear to have any of his kids move that far away from him. "We'll see, baby. Let's get you through fourth grade first."

Sara and Aidan joined them all in the kitchen, where Bailey had since joined in the construction of the gingerbread house. There wasn't much symmetry to it – gum drops, gummy worms, pretzels, Twizzlers, were placed in random spots on the house and in the icing-glazed yard. Mari's tummy rumbled, having looked at all this food at a good long while. Nick patted her stomach with his free hand.

"Is someone hungry?" He asked her, giving her head a kiss.

She giggled. "I can't take it much longer! I want to eat all the candy!"

Nick bounced her a little on his legs and couldn't deny just how temping that gingerbread and all the sugar looked. All his children were happy. They were doing okay. Why not celebrate a little?

"Hey, why not?" He decided, looking up at Sara for agreement. "We can make another gingerbread house tomorrow. I think we should all dig in."

His three youngest children looked at him in disbelief. He never let them do things like this – eat inordinate amounts of candy, and right before bedtime? They checked his face, though, and he seemed serious about it enough.

"Really?" Bailey asked, her mouth gaping.

Nick shrugged as if to say, _why not_? Sara just laughed and shrugged also, not seeing much harm in it. They wouldn't get a full night's rest, but that wasn't the worst thing in the world. That's what naps were for.

So, the five Stokeses, minus Mally who was busy with her teaching work across town, dug into the remains of that gingerbread house, partially handcrafted by Mari and Nick. They picked off the Twizzlers, the Hershey's, and the M&M's, taking time to savor each bite, laugh together, and take a minute to remind themselves just how great life was together.


	11. Bailey in Trouble

_A/N: I'm not getting as many reviews for this as I did before, but I'm really into writing this stuff for some reason right now! One shots are good times, what can I say. Thanks to those who reviewed, and please let me know what you think!_

"You can get your little butt straight up the stairs to your room." Nick informed his eleven year old daughter Bailey sternly as soon as they got inside of their Las Vegas home in the late morning one Thursday. The fifth grader in question huffed and noticed her breath trembled slightly as it cleared her throat. She wasn't scared of her father, but she wasn't exactly happy about her situation. Bailey noticed her mother, who was currently off work sick with the flu, look over at her in question, but she definitely did not want to answer her questions. Being interrogated at the principal's office was enough for her, so she quickly bypassed her mom and headed straight up the stairs.

Nick sighed heavily after he'd almost slammed the keys onto the kitchen counter, then scrubbed a hand over his tired face. Bailey had been doing so much better in school this entire year with Mr. Falsey, but today things had taken a decisive nosedive. He'd been home taking care of his wife when the school called. It was kind of strange that when Mally was this age, he got called to school for a problem with her, and now it was the same thing with Bailey. Only this time, it wasn't so surprising. Bailey was a pro at this sort of thing.

"What happened?" Sara croaked out, then coughed several times, the deepness of it echoing in her chest, where it was staying and refusing to come out. She watched through slightly watery eyes as her husband took a seat in the recliner, letting his forehead fall towards his hand.

"Substitute. I guess Bailey thought it would be fresh meat to play trick on her, only this one didn't put up with any bullshit. She sent her to the principal, but she hid and wandered around the school for almost an hour. Her second grade teacher finally spotted her goofing around and personally escorted her down."

A disgusted grunt left Sara's mouth and she shook her head, which was sometimes all you could do with Bailey. Over the years, they'd learned to pick their battles carefully with the firecracker. Disrespect towards a teacher, even if it was a substitute, was one thing they would definitely not tolerate, on top of sneaking around school for almost an hour.

"She was doing so well." Sara commented, laying back down on her bed of cushions and blankets, clutching a hot water bottle Nick had made her just before he left. "Thought she could pull one over on a substitute?"

"She has before." Nick reminded her, thinking of the many horrifying notes they'd received over the years, about whoopee cushions, her smart mouth, leaving ketchup on the teacher's chair. Bailey had really outdone herself this time. "I'm gonna cool off for a few minutes before I deal with her. You need anything?"

Sara shook her head. "No thanks, baby. Can she go back to school tomorrow?"

"Yeah." He sighed. "And I'm sure Mr. Falsey will want to have a word with her."

Having a stricter but fun male teacher this year seemed to help out with Bailey's issues a lot. Though she was medicated, she seemed to have a natural tendency to find trouble and think up elaborate tricks. She'd be a teenager in a couple short years, and while her parents knew some of her immaturity would dwindle, they could only fear the teenage drama their middle daughter would no doubt create. Bailey was the queen of creating drama when it didn't exist; to blowing things out of proportion, and turning reasonable situations catty. In short, she would be one hell of a teenager.

About half an hour later, Nick wandered up the stairs, eerily quiet during the day with all the kids at school, except for Bailey. She knew better than to turn her stereo on when she was in trouble, lucky for her sake. Her father knocked on the door once for a courtesy and then proceeded inside, shutting the door behind him. He had some idea of what he wanted to say, but he knew that with Bailey, she could sometimes throw her for a loop. She had apparently just been laying on her bed, hopefully thinking about what she'd done wrong. Bailey sat up on her bed to face Nick. She had never been one to cower away from him when she was in trouble. Sure, he was scary when he was disappointed in her, but she had survived it all before.

Nick took a seat at her desk chair and faced his eleven year old. "I think you know what you did wrong. Am I right?" He asked her, feeling he didn't need to go into that kind of lecturing.

She nodded and sighed.

"You know why I don't like how you behaved?"

Another wordless nod.

"Tell me."

She sighed and gave him a 'Do I have to?' look, which he raised his eyebrows to in affirmation. This was the worst part.

"I already know, and you already know, so can we just skip this part?" She finally asked him. His answer was conveyed merely by crossing his arms and looking at her.

"Fine." She huffed. "I shouldn't have disrespected the sub, and wandering around the school by myself isn't a good idea, and it's dishonest."

Nick nodded his head several times in agreement with her offenses. "Good. So you know what you did wrong. Why'd you do it?"

She shrugged and picked up her Nickelodeon Magazine, sitting on her bedside table, hoping to convey to him that she was finished with this discussion. Nick cleared his throat and promptly plucked it from her hands, tossing it back on her nightstand. "That's not an acceptable answer in this house. Explain."

"I was bored. Substitutes are fun." She offered.

He shook his head in shame. "Bailey, people are not for your entertainment. That sub didn't need you causing a ruckus, and I'm sure you disturbed several students when you were out wandering through the halls. Tomorrow, when you go back to school, your teacher will want an explanation, and you better be more compliant than you have been with me. You will apologize to him, and write a written apology to your teacher. And I will be checking with Mr. Falsey to make sure you did."

"Are you serious?" She asked him, looking at him like he had two heads. That was so embarrassing.

"Mmmhmm." Staying in class like she was supposed to suddenly seemed much more enticing than what she would soon be facing. "You'll have plenty of time to write your letter before school ends today. You can consider this school time." He started getting out her assignment notebook and textbooks. "You need to be working or reading until 2:45, and I'm grounding you for two weeks."

She sighed and knew it wasn't wise to argue with him. "Yes, sir."

"I'll bring you lunch in a little while. Get to work."

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

Several hours later, Bailey was beyond bored out of her mind, having spent the remainder of the morning and most of the afternoon in her bedroom. She'd done all her homework already, and even read ahead in the novel they were discussing in class. Her dad had allowed her to keep the family laptop in her room so she could do homework, and it was beginning to look more and more tempting. She knew it was against the rules to get on instant messenger when she was grounded, but her parents weren't really checking on her that often. What harm would it do? The sound of Mari playing dress-up with her friends in her room was just torture, having to lay on her bed doing nothing.

Bailey went for it, opening up the laptop once again and eagerly anticipating its slow startup. There were so many computer games on this thing it took forever to load. Soon, it was running and Bailey started up AOL Instant Messenger. Several of her friends from school were on, asking what the heck happened to her today. Bailey grinned, liking the attention she got from the pranks she played, and answered each of them happily. However, instead of the awe she had anticipated receiving, many of her classmates seemed unimpressed. One told her she was being childish, and yet another told her to grow up. The final straw came when her friend Ashley accidentally typed at mean comment that was intended for Casey, but she'd written it in the wrong box. Bailey's box. It read _Bailey is soooo imature sometimes. I wish she would get over herself_.

Though she knew she could really push it sometimes, Bailey had never felt so hurt in her life. Ashley was one of her best friends, as well as Casey, and they were talking about her behind her back? And if they were her friends, what were other people saying? Bailey had always thought her stunts had been entertaining, and earned the respect of her classmates because she was so unpredictable, but today, as she sat teary-eyed, reading that sentence over and over again alone on her desk chair, she realized something vastly different had been happening. Her classmates were annoyed by her, thought she was immature, and were quite unimpressed by her efforts to entertain them. Trying to think of something purely evil to type back, she then heard heavy footsteps on the stairs, and identified them easily as her father's. If he caught her on the laptop, her evening would surely be unpleasant. Quickly closing the monitor, she hopped back onto her bed and buried her face in her pillow, hoping he'd think she was asleep and leave her alone.

The door opens slowly, and Nick pokes his head in to check to make sure his daughter isn't doing anything she shouldn't be doing. He notices she's face down on her bed, and is about to close the door, thinking she was napping, when he notices her eye blink, and thinks he hears a sniffle escape her little nose.

"Bails? You awake?" He asks her gently, but he doesn't get an answer. Somehow, Nick senses that Bailey isn't just pissed about being in trouble, it seems as though she's upset about something else. When he'd checked on her before, he'd at least gotten a glare or an angry mumble, but this time, nothing. With both Bailey and Mally, he always had to pry to get things out of them. Her complete shut-out of him told Nick that there was a problem. The experienced father, though by his own his admission regularly didn't know what went on inside Bailey's head, crossed the room silently, and stood next to his daughter's bed. She buries her face deeper and sniffles again, further confirming his suspicions that she's upset.

"Baby, what's wrong?" He asks her gently, taking a seat on the edge of her bright, flowery-printed comforter. Though Nick is disappointed in her, all that gets thrown to the wind when he sees she's been crying. When he rubs her arm in comfort, it causes the young girl to break down and start full-out crying. Bailey knows that no matter what she does, her parents will always love her, but it hurts so much to know that all her classmates apparently hate her right now. She tells him something that in all her tearfulness, he doesn't understand. "What, Bails?"

She finally turns over so she's laying on her back, clutching the teddy bear that she rarely seeks for comfort nowadays. Nick gently rubs her side as she struggles to find enough composure to tell him her problem.

"I'm sorry, Daddy." She begins between her sorrowful tears. "I was bored so I got on instant messenger, and all the kids at school think I'm immature." Bailey told him her problem, which was hard to deal with, thinking back to his own elementary school days. Only the most spazzy kids were frowned upon like that, but then again, his daughter was one of a kind. He didn't doubt she'd done many things at school he wouldn't be proud of, though he only knew of a select few.

"They think you're immature?" He clarified, trying to sound understanding, though he could see perfectly well why the other kids would think that about Bailey. She replies, _uh-huh_ tearfully, rubbing at one of her watery eyes. Nick decides to look past the fact she'd used the computer for reasons other than homework. That's not as important right now. "And why do you think that?"

A tearful hiccup. "Cause they said it on IM, and then Ashley accidentally IM'd me instead of Casey, and said she wishes I would get over myself and I'm immature."

I nod at her in understanding, thinking that was a lot for a kid to have to deal with. Above all, Nick figured, people just wanted to be liked. Some had a messed up way of trying to convey that to people, but his daughter wasn't a truly bad kid. She just wanted her classmates to think she was fun, and hadn't figured out where to draw the line at. Bailey could go too far, to put it lightly.

"Because of what you did today at school?"

Bailey nods, looking up at her father for the first time in hopes of guidance. Though she didn't always listen to him, she always knew she could count on him and her mom to know the right thing to do. Nick clears his throat and pauses momentarily to think of how to put this to Bailey and not hurt her feelings.

"Well, think about it a little. If Ashley did that sort of thing to the substitute, and you found out she wandered around the school for an hour like you did, what would you think of her?" He posed.

Bailey fingered the design of her teddy bear's little vest as she pondered the question, and knew the point her father was trying to make. If it wasn't her, she wouldn't think it was so cool either.

"I guess I'd think she's kind of crazy." She admitted softly.

"Yeah." Nick agrees softly, though his aim wasn't to make her feel worse about herself. He breathes in quickly momentarily before beginning his next sentence. "Bailey, do you think you pull stunts like this to get people's attention?"

Bailey shrugged and played with the bear's arms. "I like makin' people laugh."

Nick smiled and his eyes twinkled slightly at her admission. "And you're a funny girl. You really are. But do you think you can make people laugh without getting yourself in trouble?"

A complacent sigh. "I know you and mom want me to."

Nick nodded. "Well, it sounds like it's not working out too well for you. I bet you'd earn more respect from your classmates if you just told jokes, and didn't act up to get attention."

Bailey opens up to Nick next in a way she rarely does, and gives him the insight to get to know her even better; her mind; the way she did things; the way she weighed pros and cons in her mind. "Sometimes I want to, but I don't know what else to say. It's like I have to do something, or I'll go crazy."

"Yeah. You've just got to learn how to control that, Bailey." Nick admitted. The Aderall helped, but Bailey could still get off the wall sometimes, making Nick and Sara wonder if she was even capable of being docile. It was a simple request seemingly, but one that require the eleven year old so much work, which she was well aware of. It was so much work just to act halfway normal in school; not to want to bounce off the walls and not to have to tap her foot all day after sitting at her desk, itching to get up and run around. Suddenly, everything was all too overwhelming, so she put her hand to her face when she felt the tears stinging at her eyes. Her face contorted in sadness as she began to cry again, wishing she wasn't such a spaz. Wishing she was normal, like Mally, Aidan, and Mari. Her father let out a sympathetic sound, and gently tugged her body to a sitting position so he could envelop her in a warm, fatherly hug.

Bailey cried into Nick's chest as he held her, whispering comforting things to her while he rocked her back and forth gently. This was a lot for a fifth grader to deal with, and she'd been dealing with it practically since the day she was born. All he could do was tell her it was going to be okay; that one day she'd figure out how to handle all that extra energy. He'd always be there to help her whenever she needed it.

After a long hug and multiple kisses to the head, Nick pulled Bailey back to look at her face. She looked more relieved, but still frustrated by her situation. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and looked her in the eye. "Bailey, you are a wonderful, amazing, loving little girl, who happens to have a lot of excess energy. But that does not make you a bad kid. You got that?"

She nodded and smiled just a little bit, because her dad always made that distinction. She wasn't a bad kid, she just sometimes made bad choices.

"You just need to think before you do things, Bails." He reminded her, nodding his head, as if to agree with his own point. "Let people know the real you, not the girl always pulling weird pranks. Can you do that?"

"I'll try." She whispered, her throat a bit parched from her crying, but overall, she felt ten times better. The great thing about her dad was that even if you had been in trouble with him earlier, you could still lean on his shoulder later when you needed him. It was not the first time, and definitely not the last time, Nick would advise or help his daughter from, and as she laid down to go to sleep that night after he'd tucked her in, Bailey knew that tomorrow would be a better day.


	12. Middle School Dance

_A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing! I got request for more Aidan, so here he isss! Ah, the wonderful time in everyone's life known as middle school…_

"Umm…Dad?" A timid sounding, and slightly deep voice that could only belong to his prepubescent son called from the door to Nick Stokes' office one Wednesday evening. The father quickly closed a folder that displayed some gruesome photos of a crime scene and spun his chair around to face one of two seventh graders in the house.

"Yeah, bud?" He asked Aidan, who could immediately tell needed some sort of advice from him. Based on what Bailey had been squealing about to him earlier, Nick could guess what it was. There was the annual Spring dance at the middle school. And while this thrilled the socialite of the family, Bailey, it terrified her twin brother, who was slightly more timid in the social department.

"Can I ask you a question?" He wandered in farther, having that look on his face – that look of being completely and utterly lost; having no clue what to do with himself. The kid didn't sit – made no attempt to even lean against the desk, so puzzled he was by this seemingly harmless dance.

"Of course, Aidan. What's up?" Nick made a point of making himself approachable to all of his children, and was glad that even though they were hovering around their teen years, that both Bailey and Aidan could come to him with their problems. Well, with Bailey she confided in her mother more about the girl issues, but Aidan wasn't afraid to ask Nick the tough questions.

Hands on his hips, staring at his feet, one of which's heel was digging into the toe of the other, Aidan contemplated his problem, wondering if there was any solution known to man for what he was facing. Still, his father seemed to know something about everything, and based on comments his mother had made about his high school and college years, he was experienced at asking girls out, and getting an affirmative response. However, Aidan was doubtful that if he used the same tactics his father did, that he would be victorious. No way was he as athletic and popular as his dad had been at his age. Aidan wasn't unpopular by any means, but he was slightly awkward, slightly unconfident like most boys his age were. What he didn't know was that it was all about how you presented yourself – as a scared, wimpy kid, or a confident, happy middle schooler.

"Um…there's a dance coming up at school." He first delivered the horrifying, but damn exciting news. It was a dance! Girls would be there! Aidan desperately wanted to go, but didn't see how any female in the seventh grade would want to go with him. "And I wanna go, but I don't know how to ask."

Nick had been anticipating this little discussion, and had already thought about what he was going to say. He nodded and sighed a little, letting Aidan know he understood the problem, that it wasn't just something silly. Whenever his children had difficulty with something, Nick was sure to put his full attention to it, and not dismiss it as juvenile and not worthwhile. Leaning back a bit in his chair, Nick began to address his only son.

"Well, Aidan. What I can tell you for sure, is all the girls in your class are just as nervous as you are." He started off telling him this. Sure, guys made idiots of themselves more often than girls, trying to impress the opposite sex, but he knew for a fact girls feared the same things guys did – being rejected, being unwanted, being thought of as uncool.

Aidan huffed at that seemingly preposterous claim. Had he not seen Bailey earlier? She was practically bouncing off the walls with excitement about the dance, and wondering which guy she was going to ask to the dance. There was no inkling of doubtfulness that Aidan had seen about if any of those guys were going to tell her no. Bailey was one of the most popular girls in their class, being the outgoing, generally cheerful young lady that she was. Aidan wasn't going to admit he was slightly jealous of her ways – how she could walk into a room, and everyone knew it, and how he knew that almost every guy in their class had a crush on her. He was the slightly lamer twin brother of a cheerleader, and he feared he always would be.

"Well, if the girls in our class are reacting anything like how Bailey did, I highly doubt that." Aidan retorted, sighing even louder, thinking his situation was impossible.

"Bailey is a freak of nature." Nick quipped. "Sure, some girls are confident like that, but ninety nine percent are not, at least on the inside. You see, in middle school especially, people try to act way more confident and cool than they really are most of the time. I bet the girl you have in mind is afraid no one will want to take her, and she'll be sittin' home alone on dance night."

Aidan torqued his lips slightly in thought and wonder. Kayla Matthews, who he'd had a crush on since the beginning of the year, was perhaps the most beautiful creature he'd ever laid his young eyes on. She had gorgeous, wavy brown hair, a really cute body, and a smile that lit up his sad little life. He pined over her. He stared at her. He fantasized about going up to her and striking up a conversation. But, he didn't really talk to her. Just the occasional hello, or how's it going? And sometimes, they got paired together in science class – those were his red-letter days, by golly. One time, she had accidentally brushed his arm, and Aidan thought he'd died and gone to heaven. After that, he'd been on cloud nine for nearly a week.

"Dad, she's one of the prettiest girls in the school." He pointed out, using a tone as if to say, Dad, where have you been? "Tons of guys will be asking her out. Why should I even try?"

"Because you are a smart, funny, really cool kid, who I bet is one of the few guys who knows how to treat her right." Nick had been steadfast in teaching his son who to treat women. Mostly taught by example of course, Aidan knew to open doors, be polite, compliment her, and always treat her with respect. Nick bet most the guys who were supposedly crushing on Kayla Matthews like his son was, wouldn't treat her the way Aidan did. Not that that meant they were instantly a perfect match, but Nick was a firm believer in treating a woman how she deserved to be treated.

Aidan nodded and rolled his eyes a little at his father's reminder. He knew that treating a lady with respect was one of the most important things in his book. The boys in his gym class joked around in the locker room all the time about the girls – the hot ones, the nerdy ones, the ugly ones – but Aidan never joined in. He knew better than that.

"Think about it, Aidan. If you never ask her, you'll never know if she would've said yes or no. Don't you want to at least know?" Nick looked at him seriously, but in an understanding way. Despite his luck, Nick had had his fair share of bad luck with the opposite sex. He knew how frightening women appeared to be, and didn't blame Aidan for being a little scared.

The house phone rang, and since Nick was right next to it, he picked up. "Stokes residence." He heard a male voice on the other line, some little douche, he was sure, asking for Bailey. Nick didn't have a need to go call her, because a moment later, Bailey picked up in the master bedroom. They'd taken her phone out of her bedroom some time ago after discovering she was making late night calls.

"A boy?" Aidan guessed.

Nick nodded as he put the phone back down, though he was curious to hear what they would say to each other. His daughter was something else, he imagined, when it came to flirting with boys. He feared he and Sara were going to have to have another talk with her soon about certain things.

"And you never know, Aidan. Some girl might have a secret crush on you, and she might ask you to the dance." He pointed out that possibility. Aidan smiled, thinking about which girls might secretly like him. He couldn't imagine any at the moment – well, at least not any that might actually be true.

"Yeah. Thanks, Dad." He told him, feeling better now about his chances. Nick gave him a manly pat on the back, thinking Aidan probably thought he was too old now to get a hug from his dad, but he leaned in for a warm embrace. Aidan still liked getting a hug from his parents, as long as it wasn't in public.

Just as Aidan was leaving moments later, feet pattered excitedly on the carpeted stairs only milliseconds apart, attesting to the quickness of whoever they belonged to. Nick braced himself, hoping there hadn't been an argument between the girls, and was relieved when Bailey appeared at the door seconds later, an elated grin on her face, and the cordless in her hand.

"Daddy, guess what?!" She bubbled. Aidan shook his head and went on his way, up the stairs to his own room.

"What is it, Bails?" He asked, sensing it had something to do with the boy who just called.

"Chad Barker just asked me to the dance!" She told him, doing a few little hops in place. "And so did Carl, Wesley, and Andrew!"

Nick let a little amused huff escape him as he smirked at his over-zealous daughter. Wasn't she miss popular? It frightened him sometimes to know just how many guys were interested in her. He would have to brush up on his sleuthing skills and detective work to make sure she and any of those guys were getting up to something they shouldn't be.

"That's great, baby. Which one are you going with?"

I troubled sigh. "I don't know. I wanna go with all of them, but obviously that's not possible." The seventh grader admitted, twirling the stud earring in her left ear, a luxury he had finally allowed her once she'd reached middle school.

"Well, you need to think about who you really like, but also make sure he'll treat you right." He reminded her, very vigilant as the father of a flirtatious young girl that she know about the true intentions of pubescent males, and the importance of being treated with respect – the same values he was trying to teach her twin brother.

An eye roll. "I know, Dad." She told him, already tired of hearing about boys and respect. However, Nick would never let up on this as their father, because the last thing he would ever want is for Bailey, Mally, or Mari to be taken advantage of by a guy. Luckily, Mally had her head screwed on right from an early age, after only one slip up involving a fellow fifth grader in the bathroom. Mari was still too caught up in playing Barbies and being a fish in the pool to even look at boys. Bailey was his main concern now in that department, and no matter how many times she rolled her eyes at him, embarrassed by his 'complete dadness' as she like to put it, he would still be there, watching over her, protecting her when she got ahead of herself.

"C'mere." He smiled and motioned with his arms for a hug. Bailey smiled, always feeling safe knowing how much he cared for her and looked out for her, and stepped forward into his arms. Nick hugged his seventh grader warmly, her head standing slightly above where his was as he sat in the chair, reminding him just how fast Bailey and Aidan were growing up. He kissed her forehead and gave her back a warm pack. "You remember you can always talk to me, right? About anything. And you always stick up for yourself, and don't let a guy make you do something you don't wanna do."

Bailey sighed a little but nodded her head at his words. "I will, Daddy." She promised him, then felt his hands gently guide her to stand up so he could look at her. Another kiss to the forehead – man, he was obsessed with kissing her forehead. She would probably develop a dent there from being kissed too much.

"Good girl. I love you, and I'm always here for you."

She nodded and smiled at him, then gently stepped away from his arms. "I've gotta go consult my friends about who to go with. Call me for dinner!" Bailey told him, grinning widely as she skipped out of his office. Nick smirked and shook his head at her antics, then turned back to his work. Bailey was doing so much better now, though of course she wasn't perfect. The kids at school really seemed to like her much better now that she'd gotten through her rather childish phase of being mean to others. Nick would've thought it would get worse during middle school, but she was far too concerned with boys to play childish pranks now. Bailey was a work in progress, but she was turning out well.

CSI CSI CSI CSI CSI

A few hours later, upstairs, Aidan was working on his fractions assignment for math class, when the telephone rang. Normally, he would just let it ring, knowing Bailey would soon pick up. It was usually for her anyway. This time, he looked at the phone suspiciously, and a ray of hope shot through his body. Could it, this one time, be for him? Could it be a girl calling?

Aidan cleared his throat, hoping his voice didn't crack when it answered, and bravely but slowly picked it up.

"Hello?" He answered, trying not to sound as timid as he felt.

"Aidan?" A sweet, female voice greeted him on the other end, just as inwardly nervous as he was.

Aidan's heart sang in his chest, butterflies storming around in his belly at the sound of the other voice. He smiled and began what was possibly the greatest phone call of his life, up until that point. "Oh. Hey, Kayla."


	13. High School Flab

_A/N: Mucho gracias for the reviews! If anyone has any "requests" for a little Stokes one-shot, do let me know. I'll probably try to do around twenty of these, like Single Daddy. Please enjoy immensely, and review kindly!_

Nick Stokes sat at the dining room table sipping his second cup of coffee at the table, glancing over the headlines of the newspaper. It was a Saturday, but unfortunately, Sara had been called into work yet again. The weekend was welcomed by his three youngest children, still living at home, after another tedious five days of school. The twins were in ninth grade now, right in the middle of their freshman year, and Mari was a fourth grader in the Academic Challenge program like her older brother had been.

At eight thirty in the morning, Nick assumed he was the only person awake, but moments later, he heard the front door open and close, then the sound of labored breathing. He looked up from the article he was reading to see Bailey, trying to catch her breath, dressed in track pants and a t-shirt, obviously fresh from a morning run. His eyes briefly scanned her body as she walked towards the kitchen. Though he knew he was overprotective, Nick thought she was way too thin for her own good. Not that she didn't eat – oh, did she eat. The kid must have been paying attention in health class, because she ate all the healthy foods, and insisted that they buy organic stuff. It had only come about since she started high school. Before, she was heavy on the sodas and junk food, but now she was very health-conscious. From years of doing her laundry, he knew she was a teeny size four, and didn't need to go any smaller.

"Morning, baby." He greeted her as she chugged back a gulp from her water bottle as she walked, and headed to the sink to refill it. Her dark brown hair, the same color as Sara's, was pulled up into a messy bun, a few tiny sweaty strands sticking to the crown of her head. "I didn't know you were up."

A tired, but satisfy sigh came from deep within her after she'd taken another sip of water. "I'm starting a new work out routine." She screwed the cap back on and set it on the counter, then started doing a series of warm-down stretches – a mostly unnecessary exercise for the amateur athlete – but Bailey seemed very much into it.

"Are you?" He set his mug down after taking a sip. "Getting up at eight on a weekend? I thought teenagers were into sleeping 'til noon."

She changed stretches and smiled at him. "Not me. I'm gonna run for at least half an hour, five days a week."

He nodded, impressed with her efforts, and set the paper down on the table. Nick sat back and studied his daughter for a few moments, trying to figure out what made her tick like this all of a sudden. Since hitting high school, she'd of course become more concerned with who she was friends with, which he expected with her, but way overly concerned with her diet. It was great that she wanted to eat healthy, but this was a drastic change.

"Bailey." He started seriously, as she continued her post-workout stretch. "Why the sudden change?" She squirmed her eyebrows a little in question, demanding an explanation. "I mean, you eat healthy, you're working out at eight a.m. on a Saturday. That's great, but do you think you're pushing it a little far?"

She shook her head and moved to stretch her calf muscles, loving the slight burn that was created when she did so. Bailey knew she must be losing weight, and she was looking more and more like the most popular girls at her school, and the type of girl she saw in the music videos and on television. She was determined to get her slight baby fat off her body, and her weight down.

"I'm trying to lose ten pounds." She rolled her shoulders and moved her neck from side to side in her final stretches. Bailey then grabbed up her water bottle again and joined her father at the table. Her siblings were still in bed. She was proud of herself for being so committed, and was sure her dad was too. It wasn't so often these days she pleased him.

Nick's eyebrows shot up in surprise, and he cleared his throat. "Baby, if you lose ten more pounds, you'll be a skeleton. You're beautiful the way you are."

Bailey was tired of hearing that sort of thing. It was so predictable that he would say that. He was her father. He's supposed to love her no matter how she looks, but she's just not happy with that anymore. Like many teenage girls, Bailey wanted to be perfect, and look perfect. Working out every day was part of that plan.

"I know, Dad, but I've got some fat on me that I want to get rid of. I'm not anorexic or anything." She quipped, thinking he was treating this way too seriously. Did he not have anything better to do than to put down her health-conscious efforts? With all the overweight children in the world, he should be thankful she was getting more active.

"You don't have an ounce of fat on you, darlin'." Nick countered, highly disturbed that Bailey thought this about herself. Her body was perfectly healthy the way it had been, and he didn't like the fact she seemed to think otherwise.

To his surprise, she stood, lifted up her shirt at her side and grabbed hold of perhaps the tiniest piece of fat he had ever seen, and jiggled it. "What do you call THIS?" She raised her eyebrows at him, as if this proved her sudden obsession with working out.

"You're killing yourself for that?" He looked at her like she was an alien, but then realized this kind of attitude with her wasn't going to help him prove his point. Nick took his voice down, and switched to a more understanding tone. "Bailey, are you doin' this because of the girls you see in magazines and on TV?"

He should have known she would give him a sarcastic comment. She took on a dramatic posture, leaning back in her chair, and draping her arm over her forehead like she was tormented to her very soul. "Yes, father! If only I could look like Jessica Alba! Then I could live as a happy person!"

Nick poked his tongue into the side of his cheek and shook his head at her dramatics. Bailey had been joking, but both of them knew that was at least partially true. He knew what kind of magazines she read – Cosmogirl and such; she watched America's Next Top Model. Though she was being sarcastic with him, Nick knew he had a point. Even if he got this kind of response, he needed to talk to her about this sort of thing. It was his job as her father to make sure she knew how special she was, and how beautiful she was without having to kill herself running every day and going without Hershey bars.

"You can joke around all you want, Bails, but I hope you know that the girls in those magazines have computer generated body parts, and the girls on TV have make up artists and hair people and custom-made wardrobes." As he spoke, he noticed she had stopped with her sarcasm, and was actually listening – he could always tell by her expression. There was no hint of a smile, and she was just staring at one place on the table, her chin resting in one of her hands.

"There's girls at school that look like the girls on TV." She countered softly. And it was true! There are just some girls in this world that look perfect no matter what. Somehow, they're blessed with some beauty gene, and even if they were to wear a garbage bag – they would look amazing. Most didn't even need make-up, but oh did they wear it. Their mothers must have been former make up artists, the way they came to school with perfectly manicured eyes, topped with a dazzling combination of eyeliner, mascara, and shadow. Their perfectly plump lips were always complimented with a perfect shade of lip gloss, and their clothes – don't even start. Always Abercrombie, or Hollister, or expensive brands from foreign countries. One girl even had custom-made clothes because her father was some sort of millionaire. Yeah, maybe if she had all that, having a tiny piece of flab wouldn't matter, but it did. When you had to change in front of all these girls at gym class, you thought about every single flaw on your body. And all of those girls, in her opinion, had not one thing wrong with them.

"Bailey, you can't go through life comparing your body to other people like you are." Nick started seriously, feeling hopeful that she seemed to be considering what he was saying. "People aren't built the same – not everyone looks alike, and you can't expect yourself to look like a star. You are a healthy, beautiful, perfectly normal teenage girl, and there is not one thing you need to change about yourself."

She made eye contact with her dad about halfway through his little spiel. Bailey could tell this was important to him, and that made her feel like he really cared. She knew she was being slightly unreasonable in her expectations, and it was actually reassuring to have him point all those things out. Really, she was lucky to have a dad like Nick was. Several times, she had overheard a girl in her gym class talk about her father suggesting she went on a diet – and she had about the same type of body she did. Her father wouldn't have any of that, and now that Bailey thought of it, she liked that. Not that she'd ever admit that.

"I know." She admitted softly, letting out a prolonged sigh. Bailey knew she was being a little irrational about all this.

"You know?" Nick asked her, studying her for a few moments. It looked like he had gotten through to her in some way, and seemed like she needed a hug. He stood up and stepped towards her, tugging slightly at her upper arm. She rose easily, and even though she was a little sweaty, he enveloped her in a warm, reassuring hug. "I thought you did. It's easy to get caught up in all the hype, isn't it?"

She nodded into his shoulder and hugged him a little tighter. Though they fought more now she was getting older, he was always there for her when she needed him, and always would be.

Nick pulled back after a little while and kissed her forehead, smiling at her. "You have enough boys chasing after you already. Don't make my life any harder."

Bailey laughed a little and smiled, then told him she was going to take a shower. She did have a one up on most of those girls – she had a personality, like her parents had always told her. She made the guys laugh, and swoon over her like those clones could never do. Bailey Stokes was an original – who really cared if she had a tiny piece of flab?


	14. Babies are Meant to be Drawn On

_A/N: I got a request for more Bailey, so here she is! Enjoy, and please review!_

Five year old Bailey Stokes sat on the kitchen chair, facing the wall, with her tiny legs swinging back and forth as she patiently awaited the end of her punishment. She'd just been having fun, after all, and didn't see what the big deal was. As a young girl, Bailey was highly interested in her new baby sister, and wanted to play with her whenever possible. Only, her parents didn't seem to like the way she played with Mari sometimes.

At the moment, Bailey didn't hear anyone else in the room with her. Mally was upstairs reading. Nick had ordered her up there when she had started cracking up at what she had done. Aidan was up in his room playing, and her father and Mari were the only other two people home, since her mom was at work. Considering this, she took a chance and sat up on her feet on the chair, crouching down, as she turned around to survey the room. Time out was so boring, she couldn't stand it. And she was so hungry! She and Aidan had just been picked up from kindergarten and hadn't even had the chance to have a snack before she was put in time-out. Bailey could hear the faucet running in the background, and knew her daddy was trying to wash the marker off her sister's head. The kid was bald – how could she not resist drawing all over it with marker? Bailey thought she'd done a good job, but her dad sure didn't.

Quiet as a mouse, Bailey carefully stepped down off her chair, and began to tiptoe quite dramatically towards the kitchen, holding her arms out to the side so as not to lose her balance. Her tongue stuck out the side of her mouth in pure concentration. The floor board creaked for a moment and she stopped, a frightened, toothy look crossing her face. When nothing else happened, she continued along towards the cookie jar. Using all the might she had, she pulled herself up on the counter high enough to open the top, take two cookies, and put it back on with a minimal clank. Her feet reached the floor again moments later and she began to tiptoe back, only this time she could distinctly hear some footsteps coming her way. Bailey's heart jumped and she had no choice but to run for the time out chair with a flying leap at the end. Nick, carrying a still slightly inky baby Mari, had heard her feet on the floor, and the look of pure guilt on her face would have given her away if he hadn't heard. The mischievous child looked back at him from the chair with wide eyes, having just made a last-ditch effort to hide the cookies she'd just taken from the jar. Nick hoped this was just a phase, but he doubted it was, as he gently set Mari down in her little bouncer.

"You have something you need to tell me, Bailey Catherine?" He gave her the chance to come clean with him about her sneaking the cookies. And not just doing that – it had happened while she was supposed to be in time-out.

Her tiny hands clasped the back columns of the chair, looking like a mini criminal in a jail cell as she stared back at him innocently. "I love you."

Nick cleared his throat and frowned at her answer. Nice, but not exactly what he was looking for. He walked over to the dining room table, where several bills and school papers sat waiting for his attention, and began to sift through them. "Did you do anything you weren't supposed to while I was cleanin' up Mari's head?"

She made the mistake of giggling at the reminder of what she'd done, but quickly stopped when he shot her a warning look. Her daddy wasn't playing games with her today. Bailey shrugs her tiny shoulders. "I don't know."

Nick lets the papers fall to the table, puts a hand on his hip, as he leans against the table with his other, just looking down at his five year old. His parental look didn't have quite the effect on Bailey as it had on Mally and Aidan. She did not know where to stop.

"Bailey, what's the best thing to do if you're caught in a lie?" He prompted her patiently, always trying to use each time she misbehaved as an opportunity to teach a lesson.

"Tell the truth." She recited, knowing it was the best thing. But adults just didn't seem to understand. Whenever she told the truth, they got really mad at her anyway. Didn't they understand that kids don't like it when adults are angry at them? That's why they have to lie!

"That's right." He nodded as he crossed his arms over his chest. "So why don't you help yourself out and tell me what you just did."

Bailey sighs sadly and readjusts her position on the chair so she's sitting pretzel style, and digs for something in her pocket. "Okayyy. I got up from time out and got cookies from the jar, but it's cuz I'm hungry!"

Nick nodded, glad that she had at least come clean about that. He pulled out the other chair and sat down, then scooted her chair around so he could look at her without having to stare through bars. She avoided eye contact with him as he leaned forward on his elbows to talk to her.

"Thank you for telling me the truth, Bailey." He first told her, because he didn't want her to be afraid of telling him the truth, even when it meant she was in trouble. "But are you allowed to get up when you're in time out?"

Bailey shakes her head. "No, I'm not."

"No. And was that such a smart move when you're already in trouble?" He posed.

"No, sir." Bailey says sadly.

"Definitely not." He eyes her and leans back. "And why did you draw all over Mari's head?"

Bailey put one of her fingers in her mouth, biting down lightly with her teeth. She thought it was funny, and that Mari had looked really good. The kindergartener tried her best not to smile, but she had to let a little one out.

"Cause her head was too plain." She told him honestly. It was true – Mari was still almost bald, and needed some decoration.

Nick was slightly amused by her answer, but of course he couldn't let it show. "Well, unfortunately, it's dangerous for babies to be around markers. Do you know why?"

"Cause they don't know the names of the colors yet?"

"That's true, but no. If Mari were to get any of that in her mouth, she could get sick. That's why we have to put locks on everything in the house, because she likes to eat and lick things she's not supposed to." He studied her face and posture to see if she was taking this in, and she seemed to be listening decently. "And it's not nice to draw on people. Especially babies, because they can't tell you to stop. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Daddy. I won't do it again." She promises him without even thinking about it twice, because she knows that's what he wants to hear. Nick caught how quickly she'd jumped on that apology.

"Do you mean that, or are you just trying to get out of more punishment?"

Bailey bit her lip as she rested her head against the chair, as if exhausted from the conversation. She looked at him a bit pathetically, wishing he would just let her go play already.

"Daddy, I just wanna playyyy." She groaned, flashing her puppy dog eyes at him. Nick gazed at her a moment peacefully, and held out one of his arms for her to walk to. Bailey walked over and wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his shirt as he patted her back.

"I know you do. But you did something that put Mari in danger, and then you broke the rules when you got up from time out." He explained as he rubbed her back soothingly. "Do you really think you deserve to play?"

"Yes, but I don't think you do."

"No. I think you need to spend some time up in your room, on your bed."

Nick knew he wouldn't get a good response. Bailey grumbled and then stood up, giving him a bit of a push as she stepped away from him. "You're never this mean to Aidan!"

He torqued his jaw and took her hand in his firmly. "Aidan doesn't disobey the rules." Nick countered her claim easily as he led her towards the staircase. When she pulled back and resisted against him, he turned and raised his eyebrows at her. "Bailey Catherine Stokes." He middle-named her in warning.

"Daddy Nicholas Stokes."

She was adorable sometimes, but again, he couldn't show his weakness. Nick promptly cleared his throat and easily scooped her up, throwing her upper torso over his shoulder, holding on to her legs to ensure minimal resistance. Bailey cried and squirmed as he carried her up the stairs to her bedroom. There was nothing worse in her book than having to spend the afternoon in her room, doing nothing. She wasn't allowed to play with her toys, or talk on the phone, and definitely not jump on her bed. All she would have to do was sit and think about what she'd done.

Nick was finally able to carry her into her slightly messy room and deposit her on her pink and purple printed comforter. She sat with her arms crossed, glaring up at him.

"You like me the least!" She accused him. Bailey could easily see that she was the one out of all her siblings who got in trouble the most. She was the one who always had a smart comeback; who always had the guts to disobey; who always liked to push buttons. Life was too boring being a perfect angel like Aidan, and she couldn't stand it.

Nick sighed a little as he knelt down in front of her. He'd had this conversation with her many times, and he aware that Bailey knew this was false. "Bailey, you know that's not true. You make bad choices sometimes. So do the other kids. And what happens when they act up?"

"You give 'em candy and let 'em watch Nickelodeon." She sassed.

Nick shook his head. "No. They get in trouble too. It's okay to be upset when you're in trouble, but it's not my fault you're being punished. You decided to break the rules."

The little girl let out a very annoyed grumble and let her body fall backwards on the bed, not liking what he was saying. She covered her face with her hands dramatically and started crying crocodile tears. Nick let out a troubled sigh as he stood up and walked towards the door.

"You stay in here until I tell you to come out, and no playing." He reminded her of the rules. Hopefully, she would start making the right choices and not get herself into any more trouble.

Meanwhile, in the next room over, Aidan was well aware his twin sister was in trouble. And while she annoyed him a lot of the time with her endless energy, deviant attitude, and the mere fact that she was a girl, he had a special bond with her. After all, they'd lived inside their mommy together for almost nine months. They'd been in the same preschool class. This year, at least, he got to have some time to himself during the school day, since they were in different kindergarten classes. Perhaps it was because of this he felt more sorry for her than he would have a year ago.

Aidan had heard his father go back downstairs to be with Mari, so he very very quietly creaked his bedroom door open, and popped his head out to make sure he wasn't there. Once he found the coast was clear, he crept out, tiptoeing the few feet to his sister's door. Aidan turned the knob and opened the door, adorned with a colorful 'Bailey' sign. Inside, he found Bailey laying on her bed, now with her thumb stuck in her mouth. Her eyes were definitely not very friendly, as their mother would say, but Aidan innocently hoped he could change that. Bailey must knew he was trying to be nice, because both knew if they got caught, they would both be in big trouble.

"I have to stay in my room!" She reported to her brother sadly, sitting up on her bed, rubbing at her slightly reddened eyes. Aidan just nodded and sat on the bed right next to her.

"I wish Mommy was here, cause she would think it was funny." She went on, still upset over her current situation. Both knew their father was the more strict of the two parents, and often wondered if their mother would have let them get away with things their dad wouldn't tolerate. Most of the time, that wasn't the case, but they had to hope.

"Maybe." Aidan agreed, scratching an itch on his arm. "I thought it was funny." He admitted. Bailey looked at him and smiled, which caused Aidan to giggle a little bit at the memory of the eyes, nose, and toothy grin on their baby sister's head.

"Her head is so bald!" Bailey cackled a little, feeling much better now. It was good to know that someone else found it amusing. Sometimes her parents were such stick in the muds when it came to Mari. They were always so worried the twins would do something that would harm her – like the time Bailey had put her in her doll carrier, and tried to paint her fingernails.

Just then, Bailey's stomach growled a little because she was still so hungry. Her father had somehow taken the cookies she'd scored as he transported her up the stairs. "Did Daddy give you a snack?" Aidan asked.

She nodded, looking thoroughly annoyed and distraught by this fact. "No. He just sent me to my room because I tried to get cookies!"

Most of the time Aidan understood why he or his siblings were in trouble, and the consequence was fair enough, but no snack?! That was just mean. Aidan rarely felt sorry for his twin when she was in trouble, but this time he did. He pushed himself off the bed and turned around to smile at her in reassurance.

"Don't worry, Bailey. I'll get you some cookies." The little boy promised. Bailey felt all warm and fuzzy inside that her brother would do that for her, and risk getting in trouble himself. He was her favorite brother.

"Really?" She checked with a tiny squeak to her voice. Aidan nods proudly, glad he's been able to please his temperamental twin for once. He scurried off towards her door and very carefully opens it and peeks out, like he had done before.

"I'll be right back." He whispers dramatically across the room, before he closes it gently and proceeds towards the stairs. Already, he can hear his father cooing to his baby sister. Mari hadn't even noticed she had marker all over her head, so Aidan didn't see what the big deal was. Maybe if she had been upset about it Bailey should've been in trouble, but she was just a little baby. She'd actually giggled at the sensation!

Nick looked over from where he was feeding Mari a bottle to see his only son. Immediately, he was suspicious of the kid. He had that look, like he was up to something mischievous. Aidan rarely gave him any problems, though, so he decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, his eyes still following the five year old.

"Daddy, can I have another cookie? I only got one before." He asks, playing with his fingers a little in nervousness. Nick narrowed his eyes at him, assessing the situation.

"I thought you had two already."

Aidan shook his head and swallowed, but kept eye contact with his dad. Nick cleared his throat and adjusted the bottle when Mari let out a tiny troubled sound.

"Okay, bud. If you say so." He decided. Aidan seemed slightly surprised, but quickly hopped off towards the cookie jar. He retrieved two cookies, one more than he had asked permission for, and held them tightly in his hand. In a flash, he had dashed towards the staircase again, hiding his hand.

"Thanks, Daddy!" He said over his shoulder as he sprang up the stairs. Nick crinkled his eyebrows at the boy's odd behavior. He was suspicious to say the least. Aidan was just not good at lying, which was bad for Aidan, but good for him as a parent. It was easy to tell when he was up to something. Mari was just finishing her bottle, so he gently turned her upwards and positioned her over his shoulder. He proceeded to burp her gently and successfully, and then decided to put her down for a nap. Plus, that would give him a chance to check up on both Bailey and Aidan.

In Bailey's room, Aidan had just re-entered with two Oreos in his little hand. He couldn't believe he'd managed to get by his dad without question! Aidan felt a little rush inside him, that he'd actually gotten away with something. Bailey thanked him and actually gave him a big hug, which was a rarity. He was a boy, after all, as she told him many times, as if it were some sort of handicap. She began to munch down on the chocolatey cookie goodness, and Aidan was just too proud to scamper off to his room right now where he belonged. It made him feel like the cool brother to be able to get Bailey some cookies when she was obviously in trouble – and to risk punishment himself! Maybe this rush was why Bailey liked to test the limits so much.

The feeling of empowerment quickly left, however, when Bailey's bedroom door opened, and their father stood in the doorway, looking thoroughly displeased. Aidan felt his face turn red, knowing his dad must be disappointed and angry with him. He hated to be in trouble, and this time he felt extra bad because he'd just blatantly lied. Bailey didn't seem to be as worried, as she popped the last bite of her cookie into her mouth right in front of Nick. The crunching of the cookie being eaten was the only sound in the room for several moments, as Nick struggled to find words to say. His normally trustworthy son had deceived him, and this was the second time that day Bailey had disobeyed the rules of time-out.

"Aidan, would you care to explain to me what's goin' on here?" He asked his son sternly from the doorway, his hand still resting on the knob, his finger tapping impatiently.

Aidan gulped and looked at the floor. It always made him feel worse when he wanted him to explain what he was doing wrong, when it was obvious. "I broke the rules. I'll go to my room now." He said meekly, getting up off the bed again.

"Yes, you will." Nick agreed. "And did you just lie to me downstairs, young man?"

Aidan chewed on his lip a little and stopped on his way to the door. He felt so awful now, and suddenly he didn't like Bailey anymore. While he had been the one to suggest getting her cookies, it was really her fault he was in trouble, because she'd been in trouble first, after all.

"Mmmhmmm." He answered very quietly. Nick put his hand to his ear, as if he were having trouble hearing his son.

"Excuse me?"

"Yes, sir." Aidan answered in barely a whisper.

Nick crossed his arms over his chest and looked at his son sternly. "Well, that really disappoints me, Aidan. I thought I could trust you. Go to your room. I'll be there in a minute."

Aidan sighed sadly, already on the verge of tears at the mere thought of being in trouble, and scurried quickly around him. Nick then turned back to his second-oldest daughter, a child he had been getting slowly more and more aggravated with. He thought, already having one daughter, he would be more prepared to bring up his second, but the two girls were night and day. It seemed that Bailey lived to push his buttons. His hands went back to his hips as he stared at the little girl in disappointment. Bailey wiped her mouth with her arm.

"You have been given so many chances today, Bailey Catherine, and you're out of them." He started, thinking she was very lucky Sara didn't want him to spank their children, because she sure deserved one. "I'm too angry to even deal with you right now, so I will come back to you later. But you can bet you won't be getting dessert for a while, and you'll get to spend quite a bit more time in your room."

Bailey sighed, but didn't seem all that affected. She just scratched her nose and laid back down on her bed, figuring she might as well get comfortable. Nick gave her one last parental look and shut the door behind him firmly. In the hallway, he ran both hands through his hair in frustration. Surely he, a man who had interrogated and prosecuted murderers and rapists, who dealt with the sorriest people on earth, could handle four children for a few hours? Normally, he could, but today they were driving him out of his mind.

"Dad, do you mind if I have friends over tonight?" Mally opened her bedroom door at the inopportune time, and was met with an annoyed father standing in the hallway, looking very stressed. She winced, and immediately shut the door, already knowing his answer.


	15. Autumn Evenings

_A/N: I got a request for more Nick/Sara interaction, so here it issss! Hope you enjoy. Oh, I recently got two new kittens – Snickers and Jorge (Horhay). They are mucho cute but also enjoy hunting my fingers while I'm typing. It's a miracle I finished this._

On a warm fall evening, Nick and Sara Stokes lay in the cozy, swinging haven of the large hammock in their backyard, just swaying back and forth, snuggled together in each other's arms. The temperature was just perfect to sit outside and let the kids run around. The gentle breeze skipped over their noses, their bare arms, and their toes as the couple enjoyed a few moments of relaxation, as the twins and little Mari wore themselves out playing TV tag.

"Hannah Montana!" They heard eight year old Bailey yell, then giggle happily as apparently she was saved from being tagged by her brother. Sara let out a tiny chuckle at the sounds of their children happily play with each other, as Nick traced flirty, unknown patters on a tiny piece of exposed skin between her capris and tank top.

"The news!" They heard Mari try her best to yell in her tiny voice. It was so hard to take her seriously, the sound her voice made. Both laughed a little at her answer, and predictably heard their son start to protest.

"That's cheating!" He accused his three year old sister, getting frustrated that he was unable to catch either of his little sisters. "The news isn't a show. Mom! Tell Mari the news isn't a show. She's it."

Sara cleared her throat in amusement and to raise her voice enough for the kids to hear. "Aidan, she's too little. Just let her keep playing."

Aidan grumbled a little, but being the good little kid he was, let his sister have the benefit of the doubt. He was used to having to put up with a lot, having three sisters and no brothers. Already, he knew that girls could get a tad bit emotional when things didn't go their way, and it was just less hassle to go along with whatever they wanted. The game resumed without another argument, which the two hard-working parents were thankful for. It was rare they got the chance to lounge like this together.

Nick adjusted his body slightly so he was more on his side than his back, facing his gorgeous wife, with which he had shared countless kisses, experiences, and life events. Leaning up on his elbow a bit, he used his hand to gently play with her chestnut hair, her slightly tanned skin still being kissed by the early evening sunlight. She smiles up at him, loving how she feels inside when Nick looks at her like that. Sara feels like the most important person in the world, and knows deep in her heart that will never change. Still, after seven years of marriage, it makes her uncomfortable that he somehow adores her this much. Those intense, loving eyes seem to able to see into her soul, and read her mind. She always felt wonderfully exposed under his gaze, and it was quite thrilling, but made her very bashful.

"What?" She whispers, as he gently tucks some hair behind her ear. Nick smirks at her and brushes his thumb back and forth on her cheek a few moments.

"Nothin'." He whispers in his perfectly Texan twang. Sara loves that even though he hasn't lived in the Lonestar State for years, his voice doesn't change, and she can't imagine him sounding any other way. "I still can't believe I'm married to the most beautiful woman I've ever laid eyes on."

Sara lets out a bit of a snort at his answer. "Nicky, that's so cheesy." She laughs and shakes her head a bit. "Are we on a made for TV movie? Does my hair look alright?"

Nick narrows his eyes at her, feigning insult, then leans down to kiss her forehead. "If I didn't love you so much I might have to get bitchy about that little comment."

"Oh, well, lucky me." Sara retorts, smiling up at him again as he tousles her dark locks once again, which smelled of a combination of strawberries and the cool autumn air. It seems he can never keep his hands off her in some fashion – whether it's playing with her hair, running his fingertips lightly over her back or arms, or making out like teenagers.

"Mmmhmmm." He agrees well-humoredly as he dips his head, capturing her soft, supple lips with his. They gently kiss and nip at each other for a few moments, before Nick feels her head move to the side gently to break it.

"The kids are around, lover boy." She reminded him, never quite able to drown out the sounds of their three youngest children playing nearby to kiss her husband like she really wanted to. His response was nudging his warm hand up under her top to softly caress her stomach, keeping his eyes fixed on his wife, as if to challenge her.

"They're distracted. They're playing tag." He countered, capturing her lips again in a delicious kiss. Slow, tender kisses were hard to come by during the day sometimes. Usually they had to settle for a quick peck, or lip locking only a few seconds, because one was usually about to head out the door, or they had to stop one of the children from doing something asinine. And while they seemed to be caught up in their own game, Sara still worried she would scar her young, impressionable children for life. Perhaps she had been forever scarred by the time Mally had walked in on them getting frisky years ago. She smirked into the kiss, and felt his tongue sweep inside for a soft, slow caress. "Nicky…" Her tone gave away her desire for him, but her reluctance to show it in the view of the kids.

"Sara." He mocked her slight hint of a whine, pausing only for a moment as he concentrated on tempting her with his kisses. Nick was quite proud that after all the years they had been together, he could still wow her, as she had confessed to him once. Also, it was evidenced by the tiny whimper that left her throat a moment later.

"Mommy, lookit!" Mari interrupted their mouths dueling, causing Sara to jump. She practically pushed Nick back down to a laying position, causing him to let out a slightly surprised, but well-humored yelp. Sara smiled as she looked over at their three year old, who was holding up a poor little earthworm.

"That's great, baby. Be careful with him, okay?" She called and gasped when she felt Nick pinch her bottom lightly. Sara glared at him and gave his arm a bit of a swat.

"Mommy, you're not 'sposed to hit Daddy!" A rather mature-sounding Mari informed her mother, gently setting the little earthworm down, wishing it a happy life, and walking over authoritatively to the hammock.

"Well, Daddy pinched me. That wasn't very nice was it?" Sara tried to get their daughter on her side. Mari continued to cross the yard, suspicious of what her parents were doing.

"Tattle tale." Nick whispered, giving her another quick kiss, his juvenile mood making her heart flutter in pure love and adoration of him. The next moment, he was quite shocked, when he felt a surprisingly brisk smack on his rear end from below. "Ow. Heyyyy." He complained, turning his head to see who the culprit was. His eyes were met by a stern-faced toddler.

"No pinching Mommy!" She pointed her finger like her mother did so often, leaving Nick wondering just how much she would mimic his wife over the years. Already, she was a mini-Sara in her looks, her determined demeanor, and her intelligence.

"We don't hit, Mari." Sara reminded her firmly, but gently, raising her eyebrows at the toddler. Immediately, Mari climbed out from underneath the hammock and smiled apologetically at her parents.

"Sorry, Daddy." Her innocent voice chimed, mirroring her rather angelic face. How could either of them ever stay mad at her for anything, with those big blue eyes and chubby toddler cheeks? The only thing Nick could do was smirk at her, and reach out to tickle her a little under the chin. Mari squirmed and giggled, then took off running, knowing her mom and dad were too lazy right now to chase after her.

Nick took the opportunity to steal another sweet kiss from Sara, then pulled back. "She is way too much like you."

"I could say the same about you and Bailey." Sara teased. Nick looked slightly surprised by the comparison.

"Bailey?" He checked, running his hand up and down the outside of her thigh as he looked into her eyes for explanation. "How on earth am I like Bailey?" Nick thought of her mischievous nature, her overzealous spunk, the way she seemed to disregard whatever they told her.

Smirking knowingly, Sara wet her lips before she continued. "Well, for one thing, neither of you can stop talking. Both of you could probably carry on a conversation with a wall. You've got way too much energy, and, well, you're at about the same maturity level."

Nick gaped at the accusation and grabbed her side, causing his wife to squeal. The hammock swung wildly as Sara tried in vain to dodge his tickling hands. Her loud but delighted cackling could be heard across the yard. Bailey rolled her eyes, hunched over, taking a breather from the game.

"That is so disgusting. I'm never gonna be like that." She decided, who had naively written off the idea of love and marriage at an early age. Some girls in her class were starting to get interested in boys, but Bailey found the very idea of kissing a boy repulsive (which Nick was quite happy about), and opted instead for playing sports and games with them instead. Bailey would never admit it, but knowing her parents loved each other was actually quite reassuring. So many kids' parents were getting divorced at school, but her parents were like people from the movies. She couldn't imagine two other people more in love than they were. But, she was a kid, and she certainly wasn't going to let them know that seeing them snuggle and share a G-rated kiss every now and then was very reassuring. Bailey felt safe, and knew she would always be surrounded by love.

"Me neither." Aidan agreed, and then both their heads turned when they heard the gate to the backyard open. All three pairs of the children's eyes lit up when they saw the beloved big sister, Mally, sneaking in with a knowing smile on her face.

"Mally!!" The three younger children squealed and ran towards her. Mally's heart warmed at the greeting – what a great way to come home! She opened her arms to the herd of children coming her way, all with ecstatic grins on their faces. Soon, she was enveloped in three pairs of arms, squeezing her a bit too hard, but she didn't mind at all. Mari held her arms up when the twins stepped back to give her room. The twenty-two year old gladly scooped her youngest sister up, who was slightly covered in dirt and grass stains, but right now, she couldn't care less. She received a slobbery toddler kiss on her right cheek, which she gladly returned. With one semester of college left, Mally was savoring all the time she had left at home. It had been almost a month since she'd been home last, but it seemed like forever. She could swear that Mari had shot up a couple inches since she'd last seen her.

"I missed you so much!" Mally exclaimed, swinging the child back and forth on her hip as she ruffled Aidan's hair. She noticed her parents very carefully de-hammocking, so they wouldn't fall on their asses. Her father was still his trademark chivalrous self, holding Sara's hand firmly to pull her up from the swing, planting a kiss on her nose when she rose. Soon, both were walking over to her also with smiles almost as big as her siblings'.

"Hey!" Her father grinned widely, wrapping one arm around her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "It's so good to see you, baby."

"Good to see you too." Mally grinned and hoisted Mari up a little more, not used to the extra weight she had put on. She always thought adults were so weird, when they complained about kids growing up way too fast, but now she understood. Leaving for only a few weeks meant Mari sprouting up, and a myriad of life events for the twins. Mari laid her head on her big sister's shoulder, glad to feel her arms around her tiny body.

Sara joined them moments later, and exchanged a hug with her step-daughter.

"Mawwy, I caughted a erfworm, but I put 'em back where he's from." Mari reported proudly as they all headed over to the porch, where they could sit on some chairs and talk.

Oh, how Mally had missed her tiny voice paired with that adorable lisp. "Really? That awesome, Mari." She praised her, knowing it meant the world to her little sister. "You know, when I was four, I put a bunch of little frogs in my swimsuit."

"Ewww!!" She explained, scrunching her nose and face up in a disgusted form. "Why'd you do that?"

Mally smiled over at her father, because she knew he remembered all these little events from her childhood so vividly. He was smirking and shaking his head at the memory. She'd managed to fit ten tiny frogs into her bathing suit bottom at one time.

"Because I wanted to show Daddy." Mally said honestly. It seemed so silly now, of course, but it had meant the world to her then. She'd seen the home video plenty of times, and thought she was quite adorable. Mari just cackled at how funny her sister was, and the twins looked amused also. Mally wrapped her arms a little tighter around her baby sister and rested her chin on top of her tiny brunette head. How loved she knew Mari must feel at this stage in her life. She was at that age when she still needed so much attention and help doing things; that age when her curiosity was at a peak; that age when things that were seemingly serious to her were highly amusing to the adults around her. As a student of elementary education, Mally had come in contact with many troubled children who had not had the same advantages she had. Not everyone had such a great father as she had. Mally felt very lucky that though she'd spent most of her childhood being raised by a single parent, she was very happy, successful, and a good person, which wasn't always the case with kids coming from similar upbringings. She'd had the advantage of welcoming Sara into her life as a pre-teen, and knew she was a better person for it. Her younger siblings also had great advantages, having her father and Sara as parents – caring, loving, but firm adults who truly treated each of them like the individual kids they each were. Mally never understood how other kids hated their parents, because she had always completely adored her father, and in time, had come to think the same way about her stepmother.

"Well, Mally hasn't done as many gooberish things as Miss Bailey here." Nick pointed out, raising his eyebrows in amusement as his middle daughter, who was snuggled up in his lap. Things always seemed funnier after the fact, rather that during one of her mischievous or downright defiant episodes. Now that she'd gotten over some of her childish defiance, it was a little funny to her parents, all the memories of her getting up from time-out multiple times and drawing on her baby sister's bald head.

"You love me, admit it." Bailey tilted her head and smirked back knowingly. Being known as the resident trouble-maker was a title she would not soon lose. "I make your lives interesting."

Her parents and Mally burst out laughing, partially because it was a preposterous claim, but also that it was so true. She made life interesting, all right, but most of the time it wasn't exactly enjoyable. The spitfire definitely did spice up their lives, and the family wouldn't be complete without her theatrics.

"You're lucky we do love you." Smirked Sara. "Who else would put it with you eating an entire pint of ice cream and then getting sick?"

It had sadly happened several months before on a serious binge, resulting in a brain freeze, sugar high, and subsequent puking episode. Sara had stayed up with her, even though she'd just pulled a double and had to be in to work again the next morning.

"That's revolting." Mally told her younger sister, but couldn't stop herself from smiling at the thought. It had Bailey written all over it. "I feel so sorry for your teachers." She couldn't imagine having to try to teach a little tornado such as her sister seven hours a day.

Bailey shone a disgruntled frown, so Nick kissed the crown of her head several times. She would probably scare more than her share of teachers out of the profession by the time she graduated, but he loved her unconditionally. He wouldn't always like what she did, but he would always love her.

"We're just pullin' your leg, peanut." He assured her, in case she was taking things a little too seriously. A large part of the Stokes' conversations usually had a large fraction of humor and poking good-humored fun at one another.

"I know." She sighed and smiled, hugging her dad's arms around her a little closer.

Mari squirmed a little and looked up at her big sister. "Mawwy, will you make me ice cweam?" She asked hopefully, flashing her a toothy grin which she knew stole everyone's heart.

Mally grinned and let her forehead touch Mari's much smaller one. "Why are you asking me? Shouldn't you be asking Mommy?"

"But Mommy might say nooooo. But I know you'll say yes!" Mari explained, not at all ashamed of her ways. She had soon learned that big sisters usually let her get away with more than her parents. Mally was the first to go to when she wanted a treat. The older girl giggled at her sister's confession, thinking it was actually pretty smart. She stole a glance at her mother to make sure it was okay, and Sara nodded as she smiled. Sara watched Mari get scooped up and carried towards the sliding glass door, being tickled all the way.

"Mom, can I have some too?" Aidan requested hopefully, standing up from his own chair. Sara nodded, and Bailey attempted to get up from her father's lap, but he kept his arms wrapped firmly around her.

"Daddy!" She complained, squirming in his arms.

"Nope. You've already had at least half a years' share from your little escapade the other month." He teased her, kissing the top of her head. Bailey continued to writhe around, and soon he allowed her to scoot out from under his arms to join her siblings. She scampered off indoors, leaving the two parents outside. Nick rose and walked over to where his wife was sitting lazily, looking like she never wanted to move again.

"C'mon. They're gonna eat the last of the mint chocolate chip." He tried to coax her, taking her hand and pulling. However, her body was dead weight and she just smiled up at him slightly mischievously, but he thought he could detect a hint of sadness. Still barefoot, he studied her face as he knelt down in front of her chair, his hands resting on the sides of her legs. "You okay, baby?"

Sara slowly raked her fingers through her husband's short, brown hair, as he gazed up at her in concern, but mostly just patient love. "Yeah." She whispered, still just staring at him adoringly.

Nick narrowed his eyes at her slightly and a suspicious look crossed his handsome face. "Liar." He could virtually always tell with her when she wasn't being honest with him. It was always written all over her face, and especially in those beautiful eyes of hers. "What's on your mind?"

The door had been left open, leaving just the screen separating them from the indoors. Easily, they could hear their four children getting out the ice cream, the low hum of the freezer easily apparent, and the staccato clinking of the dishes and spoons as they got everything ready.

"Promise me you'll never leave me." She told him out of the blue, her voice laced with need. Nick's face changed to complete concern, wondering how Sara had ever gotten to a place where she thought he might leave her. His life revolved around Sara and the kids, and he couldn't imagine it otherwise. Ever. He poured his soul and heart into his family life, and practically worshipped the ground Sara walked on.

His hands gently rubbed her legs, and he kept a piercing eye contact with his wife; his best friend; his lover. "Baby, I promise. I could never leave you. Why would you think that?"

Sara seemed relieved as she kept eye contact with him, but this time she really wasn't tempted to look away, even for a second. "I don't know." She whispered. "It just makes me sad, Mally growing up and leaving. I mean, I'm so proud of her, but at the same time, I know she'll never be living with us after she graduates. And the kids are young, but one day they're gonna leave too. I just wanted to make sure you'll always be here."

Nick smirked and nodded as she sighed lazily. "Well, you'll never have to worry about that, baby. I am so completely in love with you, and I don't see how that could ever change."

Sara nodded and ruffled his hair a little more. "Okay. Thanks." She whispered. Nick winked at her, and then leaned up to give her a tender, loving kiss. He kissed her slowly and thoroughly for several good, long moments, hoping with his lips he could communicate his complete and total commitment to her now, and forever. Afterwards, he pulled back slowly and nudged her nose with his.

"I love you _so_ much." He whispered.

"I love you too."

And now with the extra assurance, Sara allowed Nick to help her up, and he kept hold of her smaller, feminine hand, with his larger, protective one. Together, they walked inside to find their four children all sitting at the table, devouring very full bowls of ice cream, adorned with all kinds of chocolate syrup, whipped cream, and sprinkles. The parents knew that with Mally practically grown, these times when all six of them were together would be few and far between. Of course they'd always have her back for holidays and dinner once in a while, but it would never quite be the same. Their nest was slowly becoming empty, and though it would be years until Mari moved out, the absence of their oldest daughter for most of the year was a stark reminder of how quickly time passed, and there was nothing they could do about it but savor every moment together.


	16. Ice Skating

_A/N: Yayy, it's a Mari chapter! Let me know again if you have any special requests for chapters!_

"But what if I fall down?" Worry tainted the voice of the usually confident, spunky little girl sitting in the back seat of the Denali, her tiny four-year old legs swinging back and forth nervously.

Nick squinted in the mid-afternoon sunlight as he checked his youngest daughter's expression in the rear view mirror. "Then you get back up and try again."

Mari frowned at the answer. "But it'll hurt."

"Only a little." Nick told her as he turned left onto a street near the outskirts of Las Vegas. He knew Mari was not a child who liked injuries at all. Sometimes, she was even too timid to try things, even catch, because she was afraid of getting hurt. That's one of the reasons Nick and Sara had decided that taking little Mari to the skating rink would be a good idea. They hoped to expose their daughter to some activities that might seem slightly scary at first, but with guidance from her parents, would learn they were fun and exciting.

"And you'll kiss it better if it hurts?" She checked, her big bright eyes looking at the back of his head for reassurance. Mari had seen her father's old hockey skates in the basement, and they were really sharp and really thin. And she was supposed to stand up on something like that? And glide?

Nick smirked, his smile lines spreading across his face. "Of course, baby." He assured his preschooler, who was at that adorable age when everything she said seemed to touch his heart. Mari was silent the rest of the trip to the ice skating rink, besides a little humming, thinking and worrying about the event ahead. She knew that her daddy would never put her in harm's way, but that didn't mean she wasn't scared right now. Bailey made fun of her sometimes when she got scared of certain things, like softballs coming at seemingly full speed towards her head, or jumping into the dark lake with fish swimming everywhere, ready to bite her little toes.

Soon, Nick pulled into the skating rink, which had advertised skate hours for children under five years old from 12-2 every Wednesday. It seemed like a perfect time to introduce Mari to the ice. As Nick hopped out the front seat of his Denali, he smiled a little at the outline of her fleece hat, complete with bunny ears, sitting just above a pair of worried blue eyes. If they got out on the ice and she freaked, he of course wouldn't push it, but Mari was generally brave as long as she had one of her parents with her. Nick liked to think that he could protect his children from the evils of the world, and that Mari knew she was safe with him there.

Nick pulled the door open and started to unbuckle his daughter from the seat, already bundled up in the cold January weather with a poofy pink coat, purple and silver striped scarf, and of course her bunny hat with matching mittens. It looked like she could barely move in the outfit, but Sara always insisted she be bundled up, even though it never got that cold in Las Vegas. He gently scooped his youngest up into his arms, and then reached over to pick up his own hockey skates, which he'd played for fun throughout high school and college. Mari clung to him, taking in her surroundings as she observed other little boys and girls being led into the small building by their parents. None of them seemed as nervous as she was, and, in fact, some of them were laughing and skipping and jumping around. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

"Are you a little nervous?" Nick hitched his daughter up a little on his hip as he walked, sensing her hesitance about this whole thing. She nodded but didn't say anything. "You're gonna do great. You'll be doing triple lutzes by the end of the afternoon." He joked.

"Maybe." She said softly, not really understanding. Nick just grinned as he walked through the front door. He paid the admission fee, and a skate rental fee for Mari. The skate attendant recommended a skate size for her, and Nick accepted. He took Mari and her tiny white pair of skates over to one of the wooden benches.

"Okay." Nick knelt down in front of his little daughter, who was staring at the blades on her new skates. "Don't worry. It's not as hard as you think." He ruffled her head a little to loosen her up.

"I'm gonna fall!" She said worriedly.

"If you fall, I'll pick you up." He assured her as he began taking off her Barbie tennis shoes, which were hand-me-downs from Bailey. She did her little whimper-thing before she was about to cry, so Nick stopped and took her hand, or her mitten, in his. "Baby, it's okay to be scared."

"I'm really scared!" She admitted, trying to rub at her teary eyes, but her mitten was in the way. Nick moved to sit on the bench, and pulled Mari into his lap, and tugged off her mittens. Suddenly, they were the only two people in a room teeming with loud toddlers and their parents, of clanking skates, and zippers being zipped.

"When you're scared, what do you do, sweetheart?"

Mari choked on her sob a little. "Close my eyes and…and take deep breafs."

"That's right. Just calm down a minute." Nick reminded her. They'd found that little piece of advice got Mari through just about anything – shots, fights with her siblings, scraped knees. He kissed her forehead as she squeezed her eyes shut and quite dramatically took numerous deep breaths. The steady rocking motion Nick initiated calmed her right down after a minute or so. "Good girl. You better?"

Mari opened her eyes and looked right at him, her eyes still slightly watery from her emotional moment. She nodded and hugged him tightly. "If you get scared out there, I can pick you up for a little while, but I want you to try, okay?"

"Okay." She agreed. Nick then placed her back on the bench and then began to put her skates on, which were a little snug, but he assured her that's how they were supposed to be. Once her skates were snuggly on, Nick moved back onto the bench so he could put his own on. Mari took the opportunity to study her skate carefully. She reached out with a couple fingers and gently touched the little spikes on the toe of the shoe, feeling how sharp it was. Nick watched her closely as he laced up.

"Daddy, what if someone runs over my hand? Will I die?" Her inquiring mind thought of all the horrible possibilities.

"Baby, the skate's not that sharp, and no one's gonna be skating fast enough to run over your hand." He tried to calm her worries as they came up one by one. Half the people there were under the age of five, and would be toppling over just as much as his daughter.

"You promise?"

Nick knelt down in front of her, now in his own laced-up skates. "I promise, Mari. Everything will be fine. You're gonna have so much fun." He helped put her tiny mittens back on, and then took her hand in his. "You ready, peanut?"

A dramatic sigh. "I think."

"Come on." He squeezed her hand in reassurance and started guiding her towards where the rink was. She wobbled only slightly on the firm mats that coated the floor. Nick walked very slowly so she wouldn't feel rushed, and have the time to adjust to these new things on her feet. Her eyes stayed on the floor right in front of her, using all her concentration to put one foot in front of the other.

"Daddy, I'm tall!" She exclaimed of the extra inch or so she gained from being on the skates.

"You are. You've sprouted right up."

Soon, they had reached the rink and Nick walked her up to the little door in the wall. It was now or never. Nick was determined to get Mari to like ice skating, and was sure she would once she got out on the ice.

"Okay, darlin'. Want me to go first?"

Mari nodded and bit her lip. Nick released her hand and stepped onto the ice, something he hadn't done in several years himself. However, like a bicycle, you never forgot once you'd learned, and he easily glided on his two feet, then turned so he was facing his young daughter. He smiled at her and crouched down so he was close to her eye level.

"There! You see? It's fun!" To prove his point, he turned around a couple times on the ice. With the sounds of other kids laughing in the background, and her father thoroughly enjoying himself, Mari decided it just might be okay. Nick skated up to her and took both her mitten-clad hands in his larger ones. "Good girl. Just keep inching forward." He encouraged her, guiding her forward onto the ice. She wobbled a bit as she glided onto the ice for the first time, but Nick had her and wasn't going to let her fall. Her eyes were glued to the ice, watching as those feet of hers glided on the cold material, seemingly effortlessly. She cackled loudly in delight.

"Daddy!! I'm skating!" She exclaimed, looking up at him proudly. Of course, he was doing the work for her right now, but he wasn't going to tell her that.

"Yes, you are. You're doing great." He was sure to send tons of praise her way as he continued to skate backwards, pulling her along with him. Mari was smiling widely as she was pulled along, her torso hunched over a little more than it needed to be in compensation for this new sensation.

Nick guided his youngest daughter slowly down the length of the rink, carefully swiveling past downed toddlers, and other parents doing the exact same thing he was doing. Mari was quite enjoying being pulled along. "Good girl. Okay, try just holding one of my hands." He maneuvered himself so he was standing next to her now. "Now, try to push forward with your skates."

Mari did as instructed, sticking her tongue out to the side in pure concentration. She pushed her little feet against the ice the best she could, and sure enough, she slowly glided along. Holding her father's hand tightly, she began to really skate for the first time. "We're having fun." She commented, making Nick smirk.

Nick noticed several children skating around with little orange cones, using them to balance and skate more independently. He soon hooked his own daughter up with one of these, and there was no chance of getting her to stop or slow down anytime in the near future. Nick was practically forgotten as she made laps around the rink, giggling and smiling proudly. He stayed by her side or just behind her the entire time, only having to rescue her twice when she fell. Two o'clock came faster than he'd anticipated, and an employee made an announcement it was time for the under-fives to leave to make way for the zamboni before skating lessons started after school.

"Alright, baby girl, it's time for us to head home." Nick announced, as he reached his hands down to guide her towards the exit.

"No. I'm gonna stay and skate a little longer." Mari decided. Nick smiled, finding it amazing how her attitude towards skating had so quickly changed. It was like her attitude towards bathtime. She never wanted to get in, but once she did, she had so much fun that they always had to pry her out.

"Well, you're gonna get run over by the zamboni."

Mari looked up at him, her eyes wide. "What's a zamboni?"

Nick nodded towards the large machine about to make an entrance at the opposite side of the rink. "That monster."

Mari quickly abandoned her cone and grasped for her father's hand. Nick laughed, bent down and picked her up, along with her orange cone. He skated her to safety, placing the cone back in its rightful place. Mari talked his ear off on the way back to the benches.

"Daddy, I was scared at first, but then I thought it was fun. But I don't wanna get eaten by the zambo." She finished as he placed her down on the wooden bench where their shoes were.

"Zamboni." He gently corrected her as he began unlacing her skates. As he took one off, he could tell her sock was slightly sweaty. He pretended to be highly bothered by the smell. "Peeyoo!" Nick waved his hand around in front of his nose, and Mari giggled in delight.

"Daddy, it's not THAT smelly!" Her eyes sparkled at the game he was playing. Mari adored her father, and how he liked to joke around with her, when he played Legos with her, and when she got to ride on his shoulders. And today she got to add something new to her list – ice skating.

"Okay, okay. You're right." He admitted, smiling to himself as he took off her other skate. "Can you put on your shoes?"

Mari nodded and began to try to put on her Barbie tennis shoes as Nick unlaced his own skates. She was still mastering the art of tying her shoelaces. Nick was able to take his skates off and put on his own shoes before she was done with one of hers. Still, he waited patiently, hoping to give her independence and let her do it all by herself. Mari seemed to take a lot of pride in doing 'big girl' things, as they had stressed to her. After a few tries, she successfully tied the two bunny ears together, and they were ready to go.

"When are we gonna skate again?" She asked, riding on top of his shoulders this time out to the car. Nick smirked and looked up at his little girl, getting bigger every day.

"You like it that much?"

"Uh-huh. I'm gonna be a ice-skater." She decided.

"Are you?" He was sure that would change by next week. Her grown-up profession usually did. Last week, she'd wanted to be a crossing guard because one had said hell to her on the way to drop Bailey and Aidan off at school. Next week, it would be some other random person who had been nice to her. "We'll come back soon if you want."

"Yay!" She squealed, and began swinging her legs in excitement. She'd forgotten where she was, and nailed Nick in the chest with her shoe.

"Owww." He complained, stilling her legs with his hands. Since she was only four, it hadn't hurt very much, but it was unexpected.

"Sorry, Dad." She apologized and patted his head kindly like she would to a puppy, and then kissed the top. "There. All better."

"Thank you, baby."

Nick soon loaded his daughter into the Denali and strapped her into her regulation car seat. She wasn't talking so much now, and he could see her eyelids drooping a little bit. Mari was slowly growing out of naps, but on days like today, he suspected she'd conk out for an hour or two afterwards. As quietly as he could, he closed the door and climbed in the front himself.

The gentle movement of the car lulled the little girl right off to sleep, exhausted from her workout. Nick checked on her in the rearview mirror every couple minutes, always finding her mouth slightly open, her thin line of eyelashes brushing her cheek, and her shallow, slow breathing. He pulled into the driveway minutes later and opened her door with minimal sound, finding his youngest little angel fast asleep. Nick wished he could sleep like Mari did. Once she was out, hardly anything could wake her up besides the promise of an exciting new day filled with playing Barbies, going to the park, and chasing her siblings around the living room. She had not a care in the world. All his children were so innocent compared to the hardened criminals and angst he came across at work every day. They were the balance in his life; the reason he kept going; his sanity.

Nick scooped his youngest up in his arms, her limp body resting lifelessly against his own as he walked her inside. Her arms instinctively clasped around his neck, her face snuggled safely in the crook of his neck. The joy he got from this never faded after four children – the feeling of being completely relied on and trusted by another human being, and unconditional love. With three other siblings, Nick didn't get to spend as much alone time with his youngest as he likes, so he truly treasured the time he had with Mari. She was a delightful, neat little kid, so sweet and tender and completely individual. Like her brother and sisters, she had her own little quirks and nuances – things he had never even though about, like how she only liked to wear her Barbie tennis shoes, or her sayings she got from Dora the Explorer, and how she always ran to the swings first on the playground. She was his little girl, and sometimes he wished she could always stay this size, as he tugged her tennis shoes off and laid her gently on her bed. He kissed her forehead once out of instinct and pushed a strand of hair out of her face. As he tucked her tiny body in under the covers, he couldn't help but be reminded that of all the roles he had in his life, being a father was his most treasured.


End file.
